To Serve and Protect
by lucymalta
Summary: Epilogue up... H is no longer working for the lab and what happened to Mich after Stuart put two bullets in her back?
1. Chapter 1

**To Serve and Protect**

Horatio Caine was a man who generally hated paperwork, but as he signed off the two files he had been looking through, he smiled. His team had once again closed two major cases – and after the trial next week, two more drug dealers would be spending time at Rikers.

Leaning back in his chair, he sighed, the information about these two had come about because of leads that had been produced from an old case. A case that he didn't really want to think about… A case where the team had purposely suppressed evidence.

Looking up, he could just see Ryan working in Trace, and Calleigh was talking to Dan about something. To his right, he could make out Natalia, now settled into the team, and working well – especially with Ryan. He began to wonder if they would ever sort their relationship out… Though fortunately it did not affect their work.

A smile crossed his face when he spotted Eric – arguing some point or other with Frank. Chuckling, he knew that Eric was feeling the pressure of having a baby at home, little Enrique was now 3 months old, and still woke up twice a night. He wondered how Kate was coping.

A knock on the door disturbed his thoughts; he looked up in surprise to see a familiar face. "Paul Clarkson… Long time no see, how was Washington?"

The FBI agent smiled and sat down on the offered seat. "Cold and boring as hell, I hate politics."

H laughed, he knew exactly how Paul felt, "So what brings you to Miami?"

Paul grinned. "Larry Wheeler is retiring. They wanted someone to take his place, and after our extremely cordial working relationship a few years ago, they decided to give me the job."

"So you just had to say yes, and I bet the wage that comes with the promotion is welcome too."

Paul laughed, "Well it'll certainly help, my kids are coming up to university age." He looked at H slyly. "So how's Mich. You decided to make an honest woman of her yet?"

Horatio blushed, Paul must have heard something. Nearly everyone in the department had started to needle him about it. Eric had joked that he was too old to get married – and now everyone was putting their opinions in.

"To be honest, we've never discussed it; I guess we're both happy with what we have."

Paul shook his head, "Come on H. All girls like to get married, sooner or later." Seeing H's expression, he changed the subject, "and little Amber."

The expression on Horatio's face changed immediately. Passing over a photo of his little girl, he smiled, "She's not so little any more, four going on forty, and as mad about horses as her mother, I have my heart in my mouth every time I see her ride. She has absolutely no fear."

Paul grinned, "Well that certainly sounds like her mother. How is Mich?"

H smiled, and the look in his eyes became a little distant. "She's fine. Working her ass off as usual, trying to get the horses ready for the season. At least Kate is back riding again. It takes some of the pressure off her."

"I hear rumours that she's been short listed for the British Olympic team."

H nodded and smiled, showing his pride in his partner's achievement. "Yeah, our selectors wanted her, but she still carries her British passport, so when the Brits declared an interest, our guys had to back off."

Paul got up to leave, "Oh well, I have to get back, great to touch bases again though H, I guess we'll be seeing a little of each other."

H nodded, "Good to see you back Paul." As the FBI agent left, H felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

&&&

Mich Bailey was laughing, Kate Delko was grumbling – she had just finished a full hours training session, and was feeling stiff all over. "I told you to take it easy, you were off nearly two months with the pregnancy, you cannot go straight back into training."

Kate flashed her an amused look, "Didn't see you taking it easy after Amber was born."

Mich pulled a face at her friend and business partner, "Yeah well if I jump off the causeway bridge, does that mean you have to follow me?"

"But I'm younger than you… I should be able to take this."

Mich chuckled, "Horses are no respecters of age Kate – you should know that by now and before you forget… I'm more stubborn than you are, I don't give in."

Kate winked, "So I've heard…"

Mich couldn't help but rise to the bait. "Oh… So what's Eric been saying now?"

Kate smiled, "Only that H told him that you and Kyra have been having disagreements again – and that you won't back down." Mich sighed, Kate and Eric were family – and it was no secret that she and 14 year old Kyra were going through a 'difficult' patch.

"Horatio has more patience with her than I do. Thank god. I think I'd go insane if he weren't here. She drives me up the wall with her smart-ass comments."

Kate smiled sympathetically, "She'll turn out all right Mich, you'll see."

A car turning into the driveway made them both turn – and smile. Nicky was back, their friend and his partner Mike had just been away for a holiday – after they had both insisted that they could cope with the barn for a week without him.

As the two stepped out of the car, smiles all round, Mich made a decision, "Kate – you and Eric got anything organised for tonight?"

Kate shook her head, "No why?"

"How about you finish up – and I'll go and prepare something for all of us. I feel like having friends for dinner."

Kate grinned, she knew Eric would not say no – Mich was a great cook – and it might actually drag him out of the lab at a decent hour. "Deal… Has H been working late too?" The look she received answered that question.

Nicky and Mike offered to help Kate finish up, so Mich could go and start cooking. "Spare ribs and salad, or pasta guys… What do you think?"

Nicky and Mike looked at each other and grinned – "Eight for dinner – why not both?" Mich laughed and shook her head, she could indeed do both.

As she walked across the yard, a cold wind seemed to come out of nowhere, causing Mich to pause. Her senses immediately went on the alert… However, the feeling went away, so Mich ignored it and moved on.

&&&

Horatio was walking to grab a coffee when his cell started ringing, smiling, he recognised the ring tone he used only for Mich. She had insisted… If he was busy – in court or on a case, he would cut the line, and she would know that he would call when he had a chance.

"Hi sweetheart, what can I do for you?" H laughed at Mich's cheeky answer. His imagination certainly could think of something. He nearly missed the next part of the conversation…. "Yeah, ok, I'll tell Eric, what's the occasion? Oh, ok… Do you need me to bring anything?" H sighed, grabbing a pen, he quickly wrote down the couple of items Mich needed.

Smiling, he knew that he had been conned – One of the items she had asked for would mean him finishing work at around 5.30pm – not later, or risk the store being closed. The message was clear… Don't stay late at work.

Looking for Eric, H found him in trace with Ryan, "Did Kate call you?"

Eric nodded "Yeah – and I'm under strict instructions to pick Enrique up from her mum by 5.30. Seems I'm under orders not to be late again for dinner."

H grinned, "makes two of us." Ryan tried to hide a chuckle, and failed. "Something to say?"

Giving his boss and colleague an amused look, he shook his head. "No, just wondering who's in charge."

Eric immediately rose to the bait. "When it comes to Enrique and the house – Kate is… for everything else… Me." Ryan started to chuckle and glanced at H.

"Oh Horatio's got everything under control." Calleigh's voice came from the door – she had overheard the comment. H gave Ryan a smug look. "Well that's what Mich tells him."

Laughter echoed around the lab. "I'll get you for that CSI Duquesne."

Calleigh winked at her boss. "Well isn't it the truth, we girls have to keep your male ego's well supported otherwise you get very upset. That's why we let you think you're in charge."

With a chuckle, she made her way to Natalia to see if her DNA results were ready, Ryan pulled a face, "I hate it when the girls get smart."

Eric grinned "Why, 'cause they're usually right? Wait till you get married."

Ryan shook his head, "Not me, I'm happy with the status quo my friend."

H backed out of the room quickly, before the boys could start picking on him. Ryan and Eric chuckled at his speedy exit. It was the one thing they could tease their boss about – as long as they didn't push it.

Sitting back in his chair, H took a slow sip of his coffee. Had Mich mentioned something to Kate – who had told Eric – who was now nudging him? The truth was, he and Mich were very happy together – but neither had discussed getting married. H put the thought to the back of his mind. One day, they might talk about it, he didn't think it would be any time soon.

&&&

Everyone was laughing... Mike was very quick witted – and was telling them stories about his and Nicky's holiday – with the usual embellishments, of course. The result was a relaxing atmosphere which Horatio loved. It helped him to forget the stresses of work – and judging by Eric's face, it was having a welcome effect there too.

He was sitting in the corner of the sofa, with Mich curled up next to him as usual, Nicky always joked that one day that end of the sofa would give way, and suggested they used the other side – to even out the wear and tear.

Dinner had been excellent – something that never failed to amaze him was how Mich could produce a five-star meal (in his opinion) in such a short space of time – especially after a days work in the barn.

Mich was happy, not only because she had her 'family' around her, but also because she saw Horatio relaxing. Several cases had failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion in court recently, and H was feeling the pressure. Thankfully an important case had gone through, though not without difficulties.

A 14 year-old girl had been abducted from outside her home in Coral Gables, and assaulted by a 40 year old man. The team had put the case together really well, but the evidence was minimal. Horatio had taken it personally that the man was going to walk due to lack of evidence, but the young girl had bravely stepped up to give evidence at the trial – against H's wishes.

Her testimony had sealed the victory for the state, and the man was safely behind bars, the girl was recovering well from her ordeal and receiving counselling, but it didn't help that H was still upset over the whole episode. He still wouldn't let Kyra go out alone, insisting on driving her to her friend's houses when they were meeting on the weekend.

Amber was trying to do a puzzle on the floor – aided by Nicky – but it was time for her to go to bed. Giving Mich a quick kiss on the cheek to ask her to move, he picked up his daughter, "Come on kitten… Time for bed." Amber pulled a face, but did as she was told, wishing everyone a good night.

Kate and Eric also made their excuses as H disappeared upstairs – as did Nicky and Mike. Mich escorted them all to the door, waving goodbye as they went their separate ways, returning to the living room, she saw the paperwork growing on her desk and grumbled to herself. She really needed to get it sorted.

When H came downstairs, he found her reading through various letters and invoices. "I thought you were going to get someone to help you with this."

Mich sighed, "Well, Kate usually does it – but while she was off, I got a bit lazy." H chuckled – Mich hated paperwork just as much as he did.

As he went to sit down, he was passed by Kyra. Mich's eldest daughter spent most of her time in her room – only eating with her 'family' – something Mich insisted on, just coming down for a snack or when she needed something. "Everything ok sweetie?" Kyra nodded. H sighed, well at least there were no arguments today. He had found himself in the middle all too often recently – trying to understand both sides of the argument.

The last one had been particularly bad. Kyra and Mich had been shouting at each other when he had arrived home from work – trying to sort things out, Kyra had told him to back off. "You're not my father." Mich had flipped – taking out her anger and frustration on the fourteen year old.

As Kyra walked out of the kitchen, there was a knock on the door, Mich turned in surprise – H also wondered who would come to the barn at this time of the evening. Kyra opened the door with a cry of delight. "Granddad! What are you doing here?"

Derek Foster smiled; he hadn't seen his granddaughter for over six years – though they spoke often through the Internet. H had been told that the Scotland Yard superintendent was Mich's father just before Amber was born. He was also Mich's contact officer when she had worked for MI5.

Horatio glanced across the room at the woman he loved and became concerned, Mich had turned pale, her face betraying her emotions. She was looking very upset.

Mich smiled as she walked across the living room to her father. She loved him a lot, but his presence here worried her. When she had left the UK, they had both been upset – Mich was never to return, for her own safety – and her father's, just in case they had been identified as MI5 agents.

The fact that he was here, in Miami, in her house, told her that there was something very serious going on, and she didn't like it. It meant that her name had been mentioned in some very high places. Giving her dad a hug, she felt the tension in his own body, which confirmed her deepest fears.

As she turned around, Horatio saw the haunted look in her eyes that he thought he had chased away for ever. His concern changed to worry, seeing the tension in Mich's shoulders, H had a feeling that he was about to hear some very bad news.

"I hoped I would catch you before you turned in for the night, my flight got in just over an hour ago and I wanted to see you before starting the rest of my holiday." Kyra had become a limpet on her grandfather's arm. Looking from her to Mich, he gave a half smile. "So, I hope you're being good for your mum." Kyra's smile faded a little.

"Do you have school tomorrow?" Checking what time she finished and if it was ok to take Kyra out for a couple of hours, Derek Foster hinted to his grand-daughter that maybe she should go to bed, "See you tomorrow Princess."

Mich was sitting next to H, alert for trouble. At first, her father kept the talk general, wanting to make sure that Kyra had, in fact, gone to bed, "I'll go and check on Kyra… While you two can catch up on a few things." H had the feeling that Derek Foster needed to tell Mich something, and may not do it while he was around.

"Actually Horatio, I need to speak to both of you. But it is for your ears only." Mich turned white and dropped her head. Her hand searching for Horatio's, H was startled – what the hell was going on? For Mich to need comfort from him this urgently… He was about to ask the question when he was interrupted.

Derek Foster took a deep breath. "Mich, we need you back on the line."

Mich was furious. "No dad… I resigned remember, I was promised. I won't go back. Forget it. The last job was hell for me, I barely managed to get through it."

Horatio's mind was in turmoil, he had not known the full history of Mich's MI5 life – and didn't really want to know – but her last job had been in Miami – and it was a secret he and his team shared. For the moment he said nothing, but waited to find out what was going on.

Derek sighed – he had known that this would be Mich's first answer – but was hoping she would come back voluntarily. Her reaction however was much stronger than he had expected. In many ways he was happy for her – she now truly had the life she wanted – and in no small part that was due to Horatio.

Looking at the two of them together, he became aware of the strength of the bond they shared, and knew that he was going to be fighting a tough battle. Instead of trying gentle persuasion, he knew he had to lay his cards on the table; Mich had to be aware that she had no choice in the matter – only options. It would mean that a rift would come between them – but hopefully it would heal in time.

"It's not a request Mich."

If H hadn't been holding her, she would have been up off the sofa, her voice turned cold, "You were supposed to remove my file dad. You promised."

Derek sighed, "I did, but I cannot erase you from people's memories."

Horatio looked closely from father to daughter, "What's this about? At least give us an idea."

Derek shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't, not until Mich is back on line." Looking at Mich's angry face, he continued, "You remember Stuart Cook?"

Mich's eyes narrowed. Of course she did – and her father knew darn well that she did, and how intimately. Horatio noticed Mich's reaction to the name and was intrigued, a slight expression had crossed Mich's face that he saw on certain occasions, but now was not the time to ask.

"He's now Director of Operations. He's prepared to throw 'Extreme measures' at you Mich."

She turned white, "Extreme measures, but dad, that's only quoted…" Mich paused, dropping her head and closing her eyes, she could not stop the tears from falling. Getting up from the chair, she turned and went outside.

Horatio was confused. What the hell had just happened? At Derek's mention of 'extreme measures', he had seen fear flash across Mich's face before the tears started, "What does it mean Derek?" Mich's father sighed.

"Extreme measures is generally used when the country's security is under high risk – for example in a wartime situation. It is very rarely used… The fact that the DO is wishing to use it to get Mich back shows you how critical the situation is."

"It means that Mich has no choice – she has to come back. If she does so voluntarily, she could do this job and leave."

"And if she's brought back under these 'Extreme Measures'?"

Derek looked at the floor, "She can be returned to active duty for another ten years."

Horatio was silent.

His whole world was being turned upside down. He knew Mich didn't want to go back to her old job, but he realised that she was not being given a choice, only options. "Is there no way out?" Derek Foster looked up at H's soft query.

"I'm afraid not Horatio – even if the two of you were married and Mich was pregnant, she would still be called back."

H was stunned, "But how?"

Derek sighed, "Being pregnant is the best cover a female agent can have." The statement chilled H's blood.

"Why did you want me here – this is clearly between you and Mich."

Foster had been waiting for the question. He was counting on H to get Mich back on line, "Normally you would not be involved – but this is not a normal situation – and though my superiors disagreed with me – I still want you to know what is going on."

"Mich was always a volatile agent, trying to track her down while she was on a job was almost impossible – but it also made her one of the best – because she could never be linked to anyone."

"I want the two of you to work together as a team, for various reasons. All I can tell you now is that I know Mich will be more focused if she has you to lean on." Standing up, Derek began to leave "I cannot tell you anything until Mich agrees to come back to work. Please try to speak to her; I cannot help if she is brought back under the extreme measures clause."

Closing the door behind Derek, H returned to the living room for a few minutes to think. Not knowing anything about the job Mich had to do made it difficult to decide, however, after only a few minutes, he gave in. Mich had to go back – like it or not. If that was how it was going to be, then they would take the lesser of two evils.

&&&

Walking up the small hill, H winced – A couple of years before a drug dealer had managed to put a bullet through his knee, and he was now feeling the result. Looking up, he noticed that Mich was looking out over the ocean, pausing to catch his breath, he thought about how to approach the situation.

"Horatio?" he smiled, her senses very rarely let her down….

"Who else?"

She gave a half-hearted chuckle, "I knew you'd come."

Walking over to sit behind her on the log, he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her close, "Did you think I would let you work this out on your own?"

Mich smiled, "If you did, you're not the man I fell in love with." Leaning back against him, drawing strength from his presence, Mich sighed, "God Horatio, what am I going to do?"

H took a deep breath, "We…. Are going to do as we've been asked."

Mich was startled, turning around, she saw a strange expression on Horatio's face.

"What do you mean? WE?"

Horatio pulled her close. "For some reason, your dad wants me involved, he can't say why at the moment, but I get the idea that he's going against his superiors, and that it will help us if you go back voluntarily."

"Did he explain the extreme measures to you?"

H nodded, "I can't lose you for ten years Mich… If there was a way to get you out of this now, I would do it, but I don't think that's possible – so we go with the lesser of the two evils, and you pin them down to a deal. You managed to get a pretty good one last time."

Mich chuckled softly, "Yes I did… Though I nearly lost you because of it." H smiled, the haunted look had disappeared from her eyes, replaced with resolve and something a little more interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ok... The first of my M rated chapters... If you are under age... Don't you DARE let me catch you in here... _

_**Lucy**_

Giving her a soft kiss on the forehead, H felt the shiver move down her spine. Smiling, he repeated the kiss at the corner of her eye, her cheek, the bridge of her nose. Reaching her mouth, he teased, pulling at her lips gently, before continuing his little voyage – moving the kisses along Mich's jaw to her ears and down the side of her neck.

A sharp intake of breath accompanied a kiss to the throat, before H travelled back to his starting point. Though H had mapped out every part of Mich's body – knowing exactly the sort of reaction he was going to get in various places, he still took things slowly. He knew Mich loved it, she had once admitted that it felt like he loved every single part of her body – and was showing it – not wanting to leave anything out. H had grinned at her remark, she was not far wrong…

Though her stomach was no longer completely flat after Amber's birth, Mich still had an excellent figure. In some ways, H preferred the slightly curvier Mich - she had not quite managed to lose all the weight she had put on – there was a little more to play with…

Tugging at her T-shirt caused Mich to chuckle, catching Horatio's head in her hands, she kissed him deeply. Feeling his hands moving up her spine she closed her eyes, loving his touch on her bare skin…

Horatio loved to waken Mich's sensuality, she reminded him of a cat – stretching and leaning into him. The next moment, Mich caught him off guard, wrapping her legs around his waist and gripping him tightly with her thighs, "You're cheating again sweetheart."

Mich chuckled wickedly, "You started it," Horatio laughed, lifting her slightly, he was able to move his left leg over the log they had been sitting on. Giving her a deep kiss, he slid his hands under her bra and unfastened it, before pushing up her top and dropping his lips to an exposed nipple…

The sigh that came from Mich's mouth made him smile, yet he could do nothing more while they stayed where they were. As if sensing his thoughts, Mich released his waist, and stood in front of him. Gently pushing her on the shoulders, Horatio guided Mich down, until they were both sitting on the grass.

Mich smiled. It seemed Horatio had no intention of moving back indoors, not that she was complaining. Thankfully, the weather was warm – and the grass dry. She didn't want either of them to catch a cold. Revelling in H's touch, she let him continue what he was doing without interruption. Knowing that the end result would be even better for the slow build up she was getting…

Lying on his side, Horatio pulled Mich to him, smiling; she was letting him make all the moves tonight. Something that he loved doing. After giving her a deep kiss, he rolled her to her back, so he could continue his voyage, returning first to the nipple, he then began to descend.

A kiss on each of the ribs brought shivers; a little taste of her belly button with his tongue brought a sharp intake of breath. Teasing, he kissed around her waist before travelling back again to the belly button. This time he felt the shudder…

Mich opened her eyes, H was certainly taking his time tonight, was it to offset the shock they had both just had? Probably… and it would almost definitely work. Feeling H playing with the button on her jeans, she bit her lip. After what had gone before, H was certainly not going to rush this…

Pausing for a moment, H kissed Mich on the lips while his fingers played with her jeans – and then underwear. Lifting her hips slightly, he was able to slide the clothing past her bottom and down her thighs.

Mich closed her eyes, but not before H saw them sparkling in anticipation. So he decided to play turnabout. Concentrating on everywhere – except where she had anticipated… Kissing her inner thighs, around her hips, he avoided the most intimate of areas.

Another shudder passed through Mich's body, and her breathing became quicker, she tried to circle her arms around his neck – to bring him closer to her, but H was ready for that move and managed to avoid them. Kissing along the fold of skin where leg joined body, H felt Mich shudder again and heard the gasp, yet still he avoided the one place Mich wanted him to be…

Mich was heading for oblivion; H was building her so slowly that it felt like she would burst any minute. Each butterfly kiss was now bringing a shiver through her body and when he gently sucked on a fold of skin, she had to bite her lip to prevent herself from calling out…

So unaware was she of anything else apart from his kisses, she did not even notice when H began to undo his belt. H grinned. Mich's passive body had turned him on a great deal. Placing himself between her legs, he slowly began returning the kisses up her body – hip, waist, ribs. Kissing around her breast, he heard a soft moan, and stopped to briefly suckle on a nipple… Mich's whole body now trembled at his slightest touch.

Finally returning his kisses to her lips allowed Mich to respond. Pulling his head to hers, she refused to let go, her desire now burning hot… Still H waited, pausing to take a breath Mich opened her eyes – and H joined her.

Slowly he pushed inside, watching the expression on her face changing as he slid slowly deeper. Knowing that she could feel every slight change in pressure the deeper he went, he withdrew slightly and pushed a little harder, a soft cry escaping from Mich's lips…

Withdrawing once more, he felt Mich tightening around him returning the pleasure he was giving. Dropping his head to hers, their tongues touched briefly, before he saw Mich's eyes close as another delicious shudder consumed her. She couldn't be far…

Sliding her hands down his back, Mich dug her fingers into the skin either side of Horatio's spine. H's response was automatic, driving into her body as deep as he could… As her eyes snapped open, H saw the silent demand. He had no intention of keeping her waiting any longer…

Dropping from his hands to elbows, the change in position enabled him to push more deeply – and more strongly. Catching her shoulders he thrust in again, pulling down with his hands…

Mich was at bursting point, but still there was no release – each of H's movements was increasing the pressure within her body. Writhing beneath him, her rapture growing, she began to lift her hips to his drives. Begging for relief… Yet still she could not let go, no matter how she tried.

H was beginning his final journey. Near to peaking himself, he realised that he would not be able to get Mich first, smiling, he knew that they would remember this particular evening for a while…

A quiver through H's body touched a nerve deep inside Mich, at the very core of her being. Smiling as the sensation began to build, she was barely able to constrict against H's movement, feeling that he too was about to burst…

With a growl that was more animal than human, H began his final onslaught on Mich's willing body, the fire within her consuming all thoughts. Deeper… Harder… Faster… A few moments later, they cried out together, each calling the other's name, their bodies trembling from the force of the explosion within.

It was a while before either of them could move. Locked together physically, emotionally, mentally, their devotion to each other proven once again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Walking down the hill, Horatio smiled as Mich tucked in under his arm as usual…. He could feel that most of the tension had left her body, but knew she was still worried about what could possibly be so important that MI5 were prepared to drag her out of retirement for.

He also wondered why Derek Foster would want him involved – and how he could fulfil that obligation whilst doing his normal job. Giving Mich a quick sideways glance, he noticed the thoughtful expression on her face and knew that she was already planning how she could negotiate a deal with the security services, so she would be in their employ for a short a time as possible…

"Horatio, did dad tell you where he was staying?"

H nodded. "Why, you going to phone him now? It is quite late…."

"And whose fault is that?" The little glint in her eyes made H chuckle – she must be feeling better about the situation if she was able to joke about their little 'private' moment at the top of the hill.

Walking through the back door, they could hear the phone ringing. Mich quickly went to answer it, while H mimed that he was sleeping. Shaking her head, she smiled… It wouldn't be the first time she'd covered for him if he didn't feel like going into the lab. Though he did it very rarely – he liked to help out his colleagues on the night shift when he could.

However, the call was not for H, but for Mich herself, "Hello. Yes speaking…"

Seeing the look on her face, H sat on the sofa, waiting for the call to be over. As her eyes opened wide, and the smile grew on her face, he headed for the drinks cabinet…

Mich was stunned. Putting the handset down carefully, she laughed when she saw the waiting glasses and half bottle of red wine on the table. Horatio ready, corkscrew in hand, "Well, are we celebrating?" The answering grin was all he needed.

Pouring the wine into the glasses, he gave one to Mich, "Congratulations sweetheart… You deserve it."

Touching glasses, Mich smiled "They've actually named me as a team rider. Not reserve, with both Storm and Knight. Thanks to you."

H was a little bemused. "I didn't do anything…"

Mich said nothing, H would never realise just how much his silent support made her stronger. In everything she did, "They're going to send me the details, so I know what I have to do to prepare." She went a little quiet, "But I need to be in the UK 6 weeks before the games to give the horses time to adjust, and to train with the team."

"Six weeks. That means you'll be gone for eight." Mich nodded… Horatio frowned… Although he hardly ever took leave, eight weeks would be too much – the chief would instantly turn the request down. "Let me see what I can do, I should be able to get at least three weeks."

Mich gave a half smile, "In the middle of summer…! You'll be lucky if you get one." Sighing, she knew the situation H was in, MDPD were short of staff – and the senior grades had to back each other up a lot. Horatio – as the most senior Lieutenant got the most, but he had twice turned down the chance of promotion to chief, preferring to stay with his team. Working on the front line.

They sat together on the sofa for about half an hour, enjoying the wine, until Mich got up and made the short call to her dad. Derek Foster was still awake – he knew his daughter well – knew that she would not go to bed without making a decision. Hearing her voice on the phone, he smiled, "Ok… I'll get the ball rolling. We have to work fast."

After cutting the line, he placed a call to a private UK number, "She's in."

&&&

Getting into bed, Horatio sighed, Mich was still not happy – he could tell by the way she was curled up into a ball. Reaching over, he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, "Hey, we'll get through this."

Mich smiled, "I'm not worried about us Horatio, but what do I tell the girls?"

H sighed, Mich had a point. She had resigned for this very reason. Not wanting to lie to Kyra about her work, "Amber will be ok… You just tell her you're going to train in the UK for a while."

Mich gave a cynical laugh. "And Kyra….?"

H said nothing, Kyra was a smart girl. Too smart sometimes, when he had first met Mich, Kyra had expressed her interest in history and the arts – and was superb at languages – she could now speak Spanish as well as a native speaker. However as she had started High School, with Horatio's help, she had become more interested in the sciences, particularly Biochemistry and Biology.

"Horatio, please can you ask her what's wrong…. She'll speak to you." H sighed, he had tried not to be involved too much in the dispute between mother and daughter – acting as intermediary, not taking one side or the other. Something which Mich appreciated a great deal, H understood why she wanted to clear the air with Kyra. If something went wrong, she didn't want Kyra to think badly of her – or blame herself.

"I'll try, but she may not tell me. Then you'll have to deal with it yourself."

Mich nodded, "At least you'll have tried…" Snuggling in for comfort, she soon fell asleep. H stayed awake a little longer, trying to sort things out in his mind.

&&&&

After an uneventful weekend (Mich could not throw a celebration until the team had been officially announced), Horatio found himself doing Monday morning paperwork as usual. A tap on his door made him look up.

"Paul… Come on in, what can I do for you?"

Walking in, Paul introduced him to Phillip Moore, "Phil is with the Agency, he wants to look through one of our old cases."

Horatio was instantly on the alert, "Which case would that be?"

Moore smiled, "The Cartel murders of four years ago. The Agency had asked a friendly service to assist us with an operation, their agent was successful, but we need to try and contact her."

"Her?"

Moore laughed, "Come on Lieutenant. You ran her DNA – you know the agent was female, at that point so did we, but MI5 are too dn careful with their agents – we had her DNA on file – but no identity to match it with." H almost smiled, so Ryan had been right about that.

"We need to find her Lieutenant."

Horatio pulled a face, "May I ask why? The case is four years old."

Moore sighed, "An under cover agent has found out that the Olympic Games are being targeted by the cartels. To do what, we don't know, we need her help."

Calleigh was walking past H's office and saw him talking to Clarkson and a new face. Quickly she went to the reception, "Who's in with the Lt. Paula?"

Looking up, the patrol officer smiled and checked her log, "Visitor from Washington… Phillip Moore."

"He's Agency?" Paula nodded, Calleigh thanked her for the information and went looking for Ryan and Eric.

Passing on her news, Eric and Ryan pulled a face, "What's he here for?"

Calleigh shook her head, "I don't know, but we'll probably find out soon enough."

&&

Calling Paula, Horatio asked her to take Moore to the file store and help him find what he was looking for. "Please make sure the relevant documentation is filled out Paula. We don't want to lose that file." Paula looked at him and nodded, catching the message instantly.

Paul Clarkson caught the exchange, when the Agency man had left, he looked curiously at H. "Is there something I should know?"

H was dialling a number and held up his hand, "Derek… Sorry to intrude on your holiday. Is your company working with an American one this time? I see, listen, can you join me. Say in about an hour? They are trying to poach one of your employees."

Seeing Paul's face, H sighed, "I don't know if I can tell you anything."

The Agency guy had something about him that Paul didn't like, and Clarkson was no fool, "You know who she is… Horatio – I have to see everything this guy does, make sure he doesn't cause any trouble, for the department, or the locals. Now cut me in….."

Horatio became thoughtful, Paul was now Agent in Charge of the state, H trusted him almost as much as he trusted his team. "Look, join us for the meeting. I'm sure you'll get some answers, until then, I can't say anything."

Paul nodded – realising that the decision was not necessarily Horatio's to make. "Ok H… I'll grab some lunch and meet you in an hour."

As he left, H made another call, "Hi sweetheart… What are you doing for lunch?" Smiling, H told Mich what was going on, and chuckled at her initial answer, then laughed as she gave him her idea, Phil Moore would be very annoyed.

Putting the phone down, Horatio became serious, one more thing to do. Pushing back his chair, he stood up and walked out of his office, searching for his team. They would need to be warned that their 4 year secret was about to be blown.

Walking into the conference room an hour later, Horatio had the feeling that something was not quite right. He had spoken to Ryan, Eric and Calleigh, and warned them to be careful if Moore came to speak to them.

Paul Clarkson was already there, "Mich ok..?" Horatio smiled, Paul was in for a shock.

"Yeah she's fine – said she might drop by to say hello." The next moment, H received a call from reception and went to sign in Derek Foster.

Taking him to the conference room, H introduced him to Paul, "So Horatio, tell me, what's so important to drag me off a beach on my holiday?" Horatio told him about Moore, and who he was looking for.

Derek was concerned, "Why would the Agency want our agent? She resigned, Unless." Clarkson was curious.

"He mentioned the Olympics." Horatio's words were like a blow to Derek.

"Damn…" The two men opposite looked at each other.

"The information we received was also given to the Agency. It was agreed that if either or both CIA and 5 could get an agent inside, we would share information. The Agency must have failed."

Horatio was confused, "So why would they want a 5 agent that has retired?"

"As a bargaining chip. They threaten to put her back to work for them, unless we give them information. We try to look after our agents – even when they retire, it's kind of a thank you for their service."

Horatio raised an eyebrow, "Does it work?"

Derek sighed, "90 of the time, yes… But sometimes – in extreme situations we do encounter problems."

"Like now?" Foster nodded

"What they don't realise, is that the only agent that we have that might be able to get the information we need, is the one they are looking for. It could totally blow her cover wide open."

Clarkson was slowly putting things together, "Your agent, how will you get her undercover?"

Foster glanced at Horatio, "What have you told him?"

"Nothing. But I think he has the right to know, Paul can look after things this end if necessary."

Derek nodded, "Our agent is a top class athlete. We are hoping that she will be selected for the British team, she will legitimately be selected by her sports governing body – giving her the cover she needs."

"And if she doesn't get selected?"

"We'll get her selected – as a reserve. The Cartel operation is being considered as a threat to National Security."

Clarkson whistled "Your agent must be good for you to want to bring her out of retirement."

Foster smiled.., "She is… One of the best."

Paula quietly escorted Moore to the conference room. She knew that something was up, although working reception at the lab was not exactly a taxing job, she had learnt a lot about the people around her – and could read newcomers very well.

Moore made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Though he had been polite, charming and friendly, she felt that she could not trust him, Lieutenant Caine must have had the same feeling.

As she opened the door, the three men in the conference room looked up. Clarkson from the Bureau was a nice guy – Paula trusted him almost as much as she trusted the Lt… The British guy had left her with a good feeling – she sensed he was not all he seemed, but it was not her place to ask.

As the door closed, Phil Moore took a seat, "So Lieutenant, your officer tells me that you may have some new information for me."

Horatio smiled. "Yes, but I think I'll leave that to our other guest. Have you met Superintendent Foster?"

Moore shook his head, "But I have heard the name. You were the controlling officer for the Lone Wolf."

Foster nodded, "And I hear that you're hunting for her." Leaning across the table, Foster's voice dropped, "The Agency was warned to leave her alone."

Moore became angry "Your DO cut us out of the information we were supposed to get, we had no choice, we hoped to use her to bargain our position."

Foster pulled a face. "And risk blowing her cover wide open. You know as well as I do that agents have to be protected for life, or doesn't the Agency operate that policy." Seeing Moore's expression, he shook his head, "No wonder people don't want to work in the field for you any more."

"If the Agency doesn't get the information it needs as agreed, we'll cancel her green card – send her back to the UK persona non grata – she'll never be allowed in the States again."

Horatio stepped in before the argument turned ugly, he had seen Moore's true colours. As he expected, Moore would do anything to reach his objective. He also allowed himself a sigh of relief. Derek would not allow Mich to be used so easily.

"Gentlemen please. You are both visitors here, and there are enough rumours in this building already, without the two of you creating more." Sitting in his chair, Horatio waited.

Paul Clarkson said nothing, it was obvious that the Agency were desperate for information, and his instinct about Moore had been correct. Looking at his friend he frowned, what the hell had Horatio got himself into this time?

The door opened causing the men in the room to look up, "Hello Mich, how are you?" Clarkson's face fell when he saw the look on Mich's face turn from welcoming smile to undisguised anger and hatred.

"I might have known the Agency would send you to do their dirty work," she was looking directly at Phil Moore…

"Horatio, do me a favour, send this low life back to Washington where he belongs."

Moore could barely hide his annoyance at Mich's words, "Nice to see you too sweetheart." The sarcasm was not lost on anyone else in the room. Looking Mich in the eye, he smiled nastily, "You will work for us – or lose your freedom. We'll kick you back to the UK so fast."

Mich burst out laughing, "You can't touch me. The only thing that stops me from becoming a US citizen is my passport, but it stops you from recruiting me."

"We'll cancel your green card," Moore was getting angry, he had never realised that the agent he knew as 'Sandra' was in fact the person he was looking for.

"I don't have one… I have a sponsor… several in fact. I can't tell you who they are." Mich's voice was getting quieter, more dangerous by the second, "Go back to your boss and tell him if he wants to deal, he comes here himself."

Moore stood up leaning on the table, "You deal with me or no-one."

Mich's eyes narrowed, "Don't you threaten me, or I'll tell certain people exactly how you screwed up in that operation in Iraq."

Moore had no alternative but to back off, he had worked with Mich on only one occasion – and knew she did not say things for effect. Her threat was real, and, more than that – she would be believed.

Foster was furious, "It was you who blew that op! Mich barely got out with her life. I should," he stopped. Paul and Horatio had stayed quiet, but were listening with interest – although H was more concerned about how Mich felt at the moment rather than a blown operation.

"Mr Moore… Do you have the authority to discuss this matter directly with the representative from MI5?" Seeing Moore shake his head, Horatio continued, "Then I suggest you contact someone who does. There is a secure phone in my office. Please use it."

After Moore had left, Mich began to laugh, "Oh my, I've wanted to do that for so long."

Foster began smiling, "I thought you were going to kill him."

Mich laughed even louder, "I was thinking about it, but I don't think Horatio would have appreciated the mess in his lab."

Horatio chuckled, "You're right there. Can you imagine Stetler's face, he would have a field day." Giving Mich a hug, he smiled, "I wish you'd told me that you knew Moore though."

Mich sighed, "I didn't know it was him – different name, but when I saw him…" Pausing, she looked at Paul Clarkson. "Well Paul, looks like you've just become part of the day shift's biggest secret… Can we trust you to keep it?"

Paul was too stunned to say anything and nodded briefly, Mich smiled "Thank you… Bring Sherri to the barn for dinner – we'll explain a few things – you deserve that much."

Finding his voice, Clarkson chuckled, "You don't need to explain anything, actually it's better that you don't – then I can truthfully say I don't know anything. Will Moore cause you any problems?"

Foster smiled and shook his head, "Mich was right there, Moore has no authority at all. If the Agency want to deal for the Wolf's services – they'll have to send their top people."

The four of them arranged to meet at the barn later that week, Foster agreed that Paul should be slightly involved, to cover H's back while the operation was on. Though he didn't say anything, Mich's outburst showed him how much H would be needed to help her do her job.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Horatio leant back in his chair, thinking about the meeting a few days before. Mich had left soon afterwards, knowing that the details of the British team would be released that afternoon. She was expecting a few calls – and possibly a visitor or two.

Phil Moore had left after contacting his superiors; they would probably be swearing after finding out that someone at MDPD had known who the MI5 agent was all along. Paul was in a little hot water, but H would be too – fortunately, both had the case files to back them up – no evidence, only a gut feeling.

Horatio sighed, IAB would probably come hunting, and Stetler would land the blame firmly on his shoulders. Although Calleigh, Eric and especially Ryan had been the ones to put the link together, the responsibility would rest with him. From what he could see, there was no easy way out this time.

Flexing his bad knee, he began to think, Calleigh was ready for her Lt. and certainly capable enough to take over the team if IAB tried to get him moved. Her annual assessment was due in a month's time, if he could get her promotion through; the team could stay together, with a newbie coming in at ground level, rather than get a new Lt. That might be difficult.

He pulled a face, if Calleigh gained promotion, there would be more pressure on him to move too. He was not happy about taking on the role of Chief – too much politics, and too much paperwork. The only other possibility was early retirement – and he certainly wasn't going down that road.

H sighed; he wasn't going to waste time thinking about it at the moment. Checking his watch, he decided it was time to move, he had another case right now, but this one was personal. As he stood up, he felt a moment of disorientation and paused, leaning on his desk, waiting for the dizziness to stop… God he was tired… Straightening up, he headed out of the door.

Waving to Eric, whose section was nearest his office, he put his head through the door, "I have something to deal with, if you need me, I'll be mobile." Eric nodded, seeing the thoughtful look on his boss' face, Eric began to wonder what was going on, shaking his head, he got back to work. H was more like an older brother to him than anything else, but that didn't mean he had to tell him everything.

Driving across town, H was thinking how he could approach Kyra… She was certainly an angry young girl these days, not the child she had been. He paused in his thoughts… Kyra was no longer a child, but growing up into an independent young woman – it would soon be her 15th birthday. H grimaced, this was not going to be an easy conversation, but if he treated her like he would a rookie cop. A slight smile crossed his lips… It might just work…

Kyra no longer bounced down the steps of her High School, but walked with purpose. Listening to her friends grumbling about how their parents still treated them as if they were ten years old, she said nothing, her mum had always treated her with respect in that area, but what she had learnt recently had turned her life upside down. She had caught her mother in a lie. One that she could not forgive her for.

"Something up Kyra?"

Looking up, Kyra saw the questioning look on Sasha's face, and saw her glance toward the road, sighing Kyra shook her head when she saw the Hummer. "Mum's probably gone and got herself hurt again… Horatio always comes for me when something bad has happened."

"At least he cares." Donna pulled a face, her parents were going through a vicious divorce, and more often than not she was spending time with her grandparents. "I don't think mine care about anything anymore – except what they can get out of each other."

Kyra looked at her other friend and gave her a sympathetic hug, "I'll see you guys tomorrow." Jogging across the grass, she threw her bag and books into the back of the Hummer, before climbing into the front passenger seat, "What's mum done this time?"

Horatio smiled, "Nothing… I thought it was about time you and I had a good chat." Kyra hesitated while she put on her seatbelt… What the hell was going on?

Driving along Biscayne Blvd, Horatio watched Kyra carefully; his announcement about 'having a chat' had produced a myriad of emotions across her face. Pulling into a parking lot next to Bicentennial Park, he opened the door, and stepped out, "Let's walk a bit…"

Kyra followed hesitantly… Looking at H closely, she noted that he was quite relaxed, so she wasn't in trouble over anything, yet she was still a little concerned, what could H want to talk to her about?

"So, do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Kyra was confused, "There's nothing going on."

Sitting on a park bench, H looked up at her and chuckled, "So why are you and your mum fighting so much?" The question caught her off guard, H noticed, but she was a smart kid and covered herself.

Shrugging her shoulders, Kyra sat next to him and evaded the question, "Don't know, have you asked her?"

Horatio took off his glasses and looked her straight in the eye, "Don't treat me like a fool Kyra… and I won't treat you like a kid."

Kyra swallowed, H had never spoken to her like this before. The look in his eyes scared her; she couldn't look him in the eye. It was as if he was trying to read her mind, yet his voice had not been threatening or angry, merely asking for an answer – an honest answer… She knew that if she tried to avoid him, his patience would not last long.

She had only seen H lose his temper once, if it could be called that, Mich had needed to renew her gun permit, and Kyra had waited for her mum in reception. H had been interviewing someone, and at first he had seemed friendly enough, however, the suspect had become cheeky, challenging H's questions.

Watching closely through the glass, Kyra had seen his expression change, heard the voice change tone – and seen the effect it had on the suspect. She had been upset by what she had seen. That evening, H had come to speak to her in her room after her mum had told him what she had seen.

Not wanting to face H's anger, she hung her head, "I always trusted mum, believed her, but she lied to me…" Horatio became concerned; this was not what he was expecting…

He probed a little deeper, "Lied about what Kyra, she's always been honest with you…"

Looking up, Kyra could not stop the tears from forming in her eyes. "She lied about my dad…"

Horatio's mind was turning somersaults, what did Kyra know about Jack? More importantly, HOW did she know? Had he or Mich mentioned something recently that she had overheard – and possibly misunderstood? He couldn't think of anything…

Putting his arm around her shoulders, H knew he had to get to the bottom of this, it was obviously affecting Kyra deeply. "What do you mean Kyra?" The teenager looked at him, putting her hand in her pocket; she took out her small wallet and opened it. Inside was a small picture of Jack Bailey… Taking out the picture, she gave it to H.

"He and mum both have blue eyes and fair hair, so how can I be brown eyed and dark-haired. It's not possible" H almost smiled with relief, there were two questions that Mich had always dreaded Kyra asking – one was this – about her real father. The second, more difficult one would be how Jack died.

"You've been studying basic genetics."

Kyra nodded, "I even asked my teacher if it was possible for two people with blue eyes to have a brown eyed child…You must know the truth Horatio, has mum told you?"

H nodded, "She didn't have much choice, I asked her outright about your dad. About who he was."

Kyra became more upset, "So why didn't she tell me?"

"Two reasons I can think of, there may be more… Firstly, she may not have told you because you didn't ask."

H paused, letting the idea sink in to the youngster's head, "Secondly, she might not have said anything because she was afraid to tell you, because she knew you would be upset."

After thinking for a short while, Kyra dropped her head, "I've been a real bitch haven't I."

H chuckled, "I wouldn't go that far, though your mum is upset and worried about you."

"Can you tell me anything about my dad?"

H smiled, "I could… but I won't. That's between you and your mum."

Kyra wailed, "But Horatio, she won't tell me anything, I was so angry with her. I've been so horrible."

Horatio chuckled, "I was angry with your mum once… She didn't tell me about something that I felt was important, we didn't talk to each other for a long time, but when we did, I understood why she hadn't told me."

Kyra smiled back, "I guess mum had good reasons then too."

H nodded, "She certainly did…"

Walking back to the Hummer, H watched as the bright, bubbly Kyra that he had come to love as much as his own child resurfaced. He wished that his other problems would be as easy to solve.

Driving towards the barn, H swore as a call came over the radio, "Sorry Kyra – I have to answer this, I'm the nearest. I'll get you a lift home with a patrol car." She nodded, and tightened her seatbelt, as H hit the sirens and put his foot down on the accelerator.

Turning up at the scene, H was stunned at what he could see, there were only four cars involved, but one was a large SUV, which had overturned, landing on its roof, the bonnet resting on the top of one car. The other two cars had hit the side and back of the SUV, trapping the woman driver inside.

Running over, H was assisted by two officers who had also been close by, two of the drivers had got out by themselves – scraped and scratched – one possibly had a broken arm, but otherwise ok. The red convertible under the SUV was in a bad state, H didn't want to think about the driver of that one… Whatever the situation there – it would be a job for rescue, he turned his attention to the woman.

She was unconscious, noticing the blood flowing down the side of her face, he was confused, she was wearing a seatbelt… so how? It was then that he saw the man in the back. Also unconscious, a bloody tyre iron near his hand.

The blood was flowing freely. If he didn't stop it, she would bleed to death, trying to reach inside, he couldn't quite get to the wound – the window wasn't quite big enough to give him access.

"I can do it…" H was startled, in the emergency he had all but forgotten Kyra. He wasn't happy about the situation, but she was right, she could do it, but should he allow it? Kyra chuckled, "We don't have to tell mum."

If the situation hadn't been so serious, H would have laughed. She was her mother's daughter all right, then he sighed, Kyra had basic first aid training (Mich had insisted – you never knew when an accident could happen where horses were concerned).

"Ok... Just keep the pressure on the head wound to try and stop the bleeding, but be careful. The bones in her skull may have splintered – don't push too hard." Kyra nodded and eased her way into the SUV. One of the uniforms came with a first aid kit, so Kyra could apply a dressing pad – holding it in place with her hand.

"Rescue are ten minutes out Lieutenant."

Horatio nodded, "Do what you have to do, and get one of my team out here, this is not an ordinary RTA."

Fifteen minutes later, the two occupants of the SUV were on their way to Dade Memorial – still unconscious, Ryan and Calleigh had appeared to look over the cars, and the wreckers were waiting to tow the damaged cars out of the way.

Kyra and H were sitting at the side of the road, "We are in big trouble with your mum."

She looked him, confused, "Why, are we going to be late for dinner?"

H laughed, "No, because I think we're going to have to tell her what happened, look at the state of your clothes."

Kyra laughed, "I think you're right… But maybe we can think of something to distract her."

H raised an eyebrow, "Such as?"

Kyra began to giggle.., "Well you can … distract her… and I can run up to my room and put my clothes in the washing."

H sighed, "And you think that'll work."

"It will if you distract her properly."

H couldn't help but blush a little as Kyra winked at him, she was growing up far too quickly. He began to wonder if Mich had already talked to Kyra about… he stopped the train of thought from his mind. He certainly didn't want to go there, one shock a day was enough…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Dinner was eaten in silence. Amber knew her mum was angry and stayed quiet, while Horatio and Kyra traded glances, their plan had been blown out of the window the minute they had pulled up outside the door…

Mich had been walking to the barn from the paddock after turning some of the horses loose for a few hours, and had instantly spotted Kyra's blood soaked clothes.

"What the hell happened to you…?"

Kyra had looked at Horatio, who had nodded his head, "She was helping me…"

Mich's eyes had narrowed, and she had turned to him. Waiting for an explanation, Kyra had used the moment to escape to her room.

H had caught Mich's arm and started to lead her into the house, but she had pulled away. "It was an RTA Mich, the woman would have died if Kyra hadn't helped me, she may still die, but at least she has a chance."

Mich had closed her eyes, "This may sound heartless Horatio, but maybe you should have let the woman die." Horatio was confused, what the hell?

Mich was not a heartless person – quite the opposite in fact, so why? "You should have tried to deal with it yourself, not got Kyra involved."

"Mich… I tried… I couldn't get to her – couldn't get into the car, Kyra asked if she could help…"

Mich's voice had become bitter, "I might have guessed… Duty first… Regardless of the personal consequences."

Horatio had paused, "That's not fair Mich, on either Kyra or myself, and you know it."

"Well maybe you should think a little Horatio. Think about the consequences of this action, maybe you'll find an answer." Mich had angrily walked off to the stable, not looking at him. H had been about to follow and changed his mind, he couldn't understand what Mich was getting at – maybe when she had calmed down he could get an answer.

Kyra had come down and helped to get dinner ready, but saying nothing. One wrong word while Mich was in this mood would set her off, and her temper was not nice to see. After dinner, Kyra cleared the plates away, while Horatio made sure Amber was ok.

"Is Mummy mad at me?"

Horatio smiled, "No kitten, she's mad at me. Don't worry, I'll fix it." The little red-head had smiled, giving her dad a hug. "Listen, why don't you and Kyra go and do something on the 'net, I'll go and speak to Mummy."

Kyra took her younger sister upstairs – but first she gave H a hug, "Thank you."

He smiled, "Don't thank me yet, I have to find out what's got your mum so upset."

Kyra smiled back, "Good luck…"

H chuckled, "I'm going to need it."

Walking into the kitchen, he found Mich clearing away, "Where's Kyra?" H explained that she had taken Amber upstairs, "Ok, I need to have a word with her…"

H pulled a face, in this mood; Mich was liable to take her anger out on the 14 year old, "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

Mich looked up from where she was cleaning the cooker. "There's nothing wrong." Finishing her little chore, she started to walk purposefully out of the room…

H knew that look on her face and caught her, "You are not going anywhere near either of our girls until you tell me what's wrong."

Mich tried to pull away, but couldn't – H was holding her too tightly. "Horatio let me go." He stood his ground, needed to get to the bottom of this.

"No…"

Mich struggled, but couldn't get free, the frustration was too much, and the tears began to fall. "After all these years, I try and keep her away from this kind of thing, and you go and drop her right in the middle of it."

Mich was crying, but with the arrival of tears, the anger and frustration were dying away, "What's wrong Mich? Please… tell me." Horatio was concerned.

Mich looked at him, despair and fear showing on her face, "How did you become involved in Law Enforcement Horatio?"

H sighed, "I was helped by a good cop when my parents were…" he paused, "It left quite an impression."

Mich nodded "For me it was family – father, uncle, grandfather."

H nodded, "It was expected, but why don't you want Kyra to…" Sighing, he realised what Mich was getting at, "Mich, just because you had a tough life, it doesn't mean she will."

"I just want her to know she has other options. After helping you today, she'll be drawn in, it's not a bad thing I know, but I had hoped she would choose a different path."

"You cannot make choices for her Mich… She's not a child anymore."

Mich nodded and clung to him, "I know; I just hoped…" H drew her more tightly to him, showing how he cared, understood. Neither of them noticed Kyra turn and walk slowly to her room.

Walking up the stairs, Kyra was a little confused; she didn't understand why her mum wouldn't want her to go into Law Enforcement. It was a good secure job, if a little dangerous at times. Maybe that was it… Her 'Dad' had been killed while working undercover, Horatio had been hurt too – when he was tired he limped a little, due to the bullet that had gone through his knee. Maybe her mum didn't want anyone else around her to get hurt that way.

She smiled as she remembered the kiss H had given her mum… It was not the usual 'Hi' or 'Bye', that she had become accustomed to, almost an expression of how he was feeling. Opening her eyes wide at the realisation of what she had seen, she almost began crying. This was no Hollywood film, but life as it should be. She knew then that she had to speak to her mum about more than just her dad.

Amber had fallen asleep, so she was able to surf the net. Something in one of the news sites caught her eye, "MUM…!" Running down the stairs, she nearly fell, "MUM.!!"

Going into the sitting room, she paused; her mum and H were looking at her entrance, both smiling. H chuckled. "Let me guess, you just saw the sports headlines…"

Kyra pulled a face, "You know already. Why didn't you tell me?"

Mich laughed. "Would you have been able to keep quiet about it?"

Kyra grinned, "Probably not, I think it's really cool. Congrats mum." Giving her mum a hug, she paused, "Mum, can I talk to you about something?"

Mich sighed, "Kyra, you always did have bad timing, Horatio and I are expecting visitors any minute."

Kyra laughed, but at that moment a knock on the door made her go quiet. H got up to answer it. "Tomorrow then mum?"

Mich gave her a kiss and a hug. "Tomorrow, I promise…" Kyra headed back upstairs, looking over her shoulder, she spotted Paul Clarkson walk in – followed by someone she didn't know. What was going on?

Paul Clarkson took a seat, he had been to the barn a couple of times before leaving for Washington. Glancing around he noticed that little had changed, with the exception of the State Championship trophy in pride of place in one of the cabinets. He had caught the news just before leaving home, "So Mich… Going to add a Gold Medal to your collection?"

Mich laughed, "It would be nice, but there are a lot of good riders and horses at the games Paul and when it comes to the Olympics, I'm a rookie. My orders from the team coach will be to get round – and get round clear, I'm just happy to be going."

The other visitor chuckled, "I think it's the first time I've ever heard you play down your abilities…. Mich."

She chuckled, "I never exaggerated them either General." Mich liked General Tomkins. He had been Director of Operations at the CIA when she had first met him, and had a good feel for agents in the field. The fact that he was now overall Director, showed how well respected he actually was.

The General however, was concerned, his department's inability to get an agent on the inside for this operation was worrying and the fact that MI5 were going to drag 'Mich' out of retirement was even more worrying.

He was probably the only person at CIA who knew Mich's real name – and the full extent of the work she had done, but could she still cut it? Was she still as good as she had been? He thought 5 were taking a big risk putting her back out in the field, yet he needed her, just as much as they did.

While he was thinking, he noticed the Lieutenant talking quietly to Paul Clarkson. He knew Paul well, from his two years in Washington, but the CSI Lieutenant was an unknown factor. Well regarded by his peers, there were many who disliked his approach to Law Enforcement, even though he headed the best team in the country… That spoke volumes to Tomkins, this was a man to be trusted, he was sure, but why did the Brits want him involved? What did they know that he didn't?

A knock at the door alerted everyone to the arrival of Derek Foster, Tomkins smiled. He was glad that Derek would be in charge of this operation, he knew how to manage the Wolf. Looking at Derek's face, he realised that the man was upset about having to drag Mich out of retirement for this one, so who had issued the order and why had she agreed?

He remembered the previous Director negotiating for her work six years ago, she had fought hard for her resignation to be accepted. Then completed her mission, and disappeared. Until now; when she had suddenly re-appeared earlier this week, during a showdown with Phil Moore. He would have liked to have been there, it was about time somebody tore him off a strip or two, she at least could get away with it. Many others couldn't. Moore had made some friends in very high places, and wasn't afraid to use them to get his own way.

Now that Derek had arrived, he waited to hear about the operation, knowing the Brits – they had something set up and just needed the players to get into position. He would offer information that he had and start to negotiate for the Wolf's services. Then the chess game would begin.

"Congratulations Mich…" Foster had heard the news just before leaving the hotel.

"You didn't have your friends 'fix' it did you dad?"

Derek chuckled, "No I didn't. You earned this one off your own back, but I have to admit – it does make things a lot easier."

Sitting down, he looked around at the people in the room, knowing he could trust them all – to a greater or lesser extent. He would brief Mich as to her specific role individually – that way, if a link in the chain got broken no-one except he or she would know the full mission.

"Mich, we want you to collect as much information as possible about drugs and weapons being brought into the UK by individuals using their status as athletes to give them cover…" Mich nodded. That was the easy part, Foster sighed; the second part of the mission was not so easy. "We also need you to try and find out who the leak is in the joint organisation and remove the agent responsible"

Tomkins was startled; he had heard that there was a possibility that agents were compromised, but to actually find the person responsible… "Derek… Are your people sure about this?"

Foster nodded, "That's the reason why we need Mich. She's been out of the loop for so long, she won't be suspected. General, only you and your immediate deputies know of the joint operation that is currently being undertaken – and all the agents involved are at risk."

Foster paused, "It is also why, I cannot be your contact…" Mich was startled, her dad had never been compromised, so how? "My name was mentioned in a message – that's how we found out about the leak."

Mich took a deep breath, "So I'm working solo…"

Foster smiled, "Not quite… You will have a new contact."

Mich frowned, "How do I know if I can trust my new contact?"

Derek laughed, "Because he's sitting next to you." Mich's eyes opened wide, then she began to chuckle. For her it was perfect.

Horatio was startled, "Why me? I don't know the first thing about this sort of work."

Foster smiled, "Because H, no-one will suspect you, your cover is perfect. You're just a CSI Lieutenant working on an exchange at Scotland Yard."

Tomkins smiled; the plan was so simple – it was bound to work. No-one would think anything strange of an athlete from the games meeting up with her partner each day. Horatio would automatically get a security pass because of his rank – and his profession.

"So where do I fit in?" Paul was curious about his role - and was laughing inside, Horatio was very rarely lost for words, but the look of total bewilderment on his face underlined his feelings at the moment. Mich was going to have to do some fast talking, H didn't realise it, but running an agent was very much like using an informant on the street; Just a lot more dangerous.

Foster smiled, "We have to assume that the security breach could also be at this end, any information going direct from the UK to Langley is at risk from being compromised. You will be our postman… if you like."

Mich began to laugh, "Any more of my friends you want to recruit dad?"

Derek chuckled, "Well that petite blonde seems to have a good brain… any chance?"

"No way Derek; Calleigh stays where she is." H reacted before he realised Derek was teasing, with a wry smile he chuckled, "Someone needs to run the department while I'm away."

Derek nodded at H's acceptance, though he could tell that the Lieutenant was still wary of what he would need to do. He would give H more details later, possibly leaving them until H arrived in the UK. He didn't really want Mich to know who H would also be working with until the last possible minute. That could cause complications if she found out sooner.

Tomkins nodded, communications between the Lieutenant and the Bureau agent would not be questioned – it was well known that the two of them were good friends – and had been for quite some time. It meant that he would have to wait a day or two for information to filter through to him – but that was better than nothing at all.

He sighed; now he would find out what it was going to cost him, "Ok Derek… You've dangled the fish in front of my nose – what is it going to cost me?"

Derek smiled, "Not much this time. We both need our agents to be protected – and you have more manpower than we do to follow up the information Mich finds. One thing we are insisting on is American Citizenship, for her and her eldest daughter. That way, when the operation is over, anyone trying to find her is going to be blocked by so much red tape, they'll give up."

"Done."

Mich was startled, and her eyes narrowed. There was something going on here that she didn't know about. However if she was made an American Citizen, which would mean… "One minute General, don't agree quite so readily. You haven't asked for my price yet…"

Tomkins smiled; this he was expecting, "Don't worry Mich. It's already in writing, you cannot be touched. After this mission, the Lone Wolf will no longer exist; I'll even keep Moore off your back… personally." Mich nodded, Tomkins would keep his promise.

She sat quietly for a few moments, eyes closed; thinking… The four men watched her, waiting; she still had the power to cancel this mission. Horatio sat, concerned, knowing that whatever Mich decided, he had no power to change it.

After a few minutes, Mich sat up straight in her chair and opened her eyes… Horatio closed his, he had seen the look once before and now hoped he was up to the task placed before him. Tomkins and Foster noticed the look too… On the surface, they showed nothing, but under the surface they both smiled. The Lone Wolf was back.

"Green light it dad… I'm ready to go."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Horatio leant back in his chair and sighed. He had been trying to catch up with paperwork, but the meeting of the previous night was playing on his mind, as Paul Clarkson had noted, Mich had certainly needed to do some fast talking. She would collect the information needed – which he could pass on to Derek and Paul.

That was the easy part of the job, what H didn't like was that he would be passing on orders from above to her – with regards what she needed to do. Would he be able to send Mich out into a situation that would threaten her own life? He didn't think so… and told her.

Mich nodded, "Don't worry about that part, I'll get dad to work something out."

It should have re-assured him, but it didn't… In fact, it made him feel worse, as if he was letting her down.

A polite knock at his door made him turn, smiling he saw Natalia, "Excuse me Horatio, could you come with me – we've hit a problem on the RTA case from yesterday…"

Unfolding himself from the chair, H curiously followed Natalia, surprised to find the rest of the team in deep discussion, "What's the problem?"

Calleigh spoke up. "The driver from yesterday, we don't know who she is."

Eric took up the story, "The car has just changed ownership – the previous owner registered all the details as required – including a name and address – both of which are false. She gave him a certified banker's cheque for the full amount, which he cleared the following day."

"The bank has confirmed that the cheque was drawn from a bank account that was closed 24 hours later – by the woman – they identified her from the picture." Ryan added, "It's like she bought the car and disappeared – or wanted to disappear – until she was involved in yesterday's RTA."

"Has the guy with her come around yet?"

Calleigh shook her head. "And the doctor doesn't think he will, massive head trauma. The guy's only relative is a brother who lives on the West Coast, hasn't seen him in five years… He's on his way."

"Identification?"

Eric nodded, "Jack Parker, we checked him out, nothing out of the ordinary – nice guy according to the neighbours, quiet, helpful, well-liked. His apartment was clean. The neighbours were shocked to hear of the accident"

"Any clues from personal effects, for either of them?"

Natalia answered, "Nothing from him. The hospital are still holding hers – in case she comes around – she has nothing else."

H pulled a face, "Get to the hospital and get her things – go out and buy her what she needs if necessary. It may be the only lead we get."

On the way back to his office, H spotted the Chief heading in his direction. "Morning Horatio… Do you have a minute?" Indicating that his boss should lead the way, H followed the Chief through the door.

Horatio took his seat as the Chief sat down, "We've had a request for an exchange from Scotland Yard. Your name has come up as the person most suitable to send, mainly due to your experience. Interested?"

H made a non-committal grunt. "Depends when they want me to go – and for how long."

The Chief chuckled, "Oh I think you might like the timing. It's a ten week deal – They'll give you suitable accommodation for you and your family." Horatio gave him a strange look, "Oh it's ok H, they don't expect you to leave them behind. Mind you… Mich will be there anyway."

Seeing H's face the Chief grinned, "You'll be there while the Olympics are on. It'll be a good move Horatio…Think about it."

H nodded, "Ok. But who's gonna take over here?"

"After your latest report, I think we should see how Calleigh copes don't you? The Scotland Yard guy will work with your team, so we'll see how she copes with a newbie on board."

H sighed, things were moving a little fast – but the mission had been green-lighted – and nothing would stop it now. "When do you need an answer?"

"By the end of the week – why don't you talk it over with Mich and let me know." H nodded, he moved in his seat expecting the Chief to get up and leave, but he didn't.

"There's something else we need to discuss H, it's time to let go of your team."

H gave the Chief an annoyed look, "You know this is where I want to be, I'm not good at paperwork and all the political stuff."

The Chief leant across Horatio's desk, "This time next year you'll have no choice. It's either up – or out… You know that H, you've passed up promotion twice now, this will be the third and last time it will be offered. Someone will use that to suggest that you take your pension. You'll be 55 Horatio; some people will say that your team are not good enough to stand without you. Is that true?"

"NO… They are the best in their field, and you know it." H was angry now – but it was due to the frustration of knowing that the Chief was right.

"Take the exchange Horatio. Let your team be evaluated, let Calleigh prove how good she is as an Lt – and use the time to decide what you want to do." Standing up, the Chief left, leaving behind a very angry, but very thoughtful H.

It was true, Calleigh would receive a fair assessment with him away (he was going anyway, but couldn't let the Chief know that). It was also true that when he turned 55 he would be leaned on to move up – or out, and take retirement. The problem was, what would he do?

Service to Miami was his life, even though he had cut back a lot on the extra time he put in because of Mich – she understood him. Understood his sense of duty, supported him in it, because she had been there herself. Still was there… She would be as unhappy as he was about the decision he would have to take.

Horatio dropped his head to his hands, the frustration causing him to scream inside his head. Would the questions never stop? Just when he thought that he had solved one problem, ten more would arrive in its place. On top of Mich going back to work for 5 this was the last thing he needed. Once again, he put the matter to the back of his mind – there were more important things to be dealt with.

Unfortunately, this time, the problem wasn't going away…

&&&

Mich was having a problem of her own, Storm was not himself. It wasn't anything in particular, but the stiffness in his movement kept coming back. She had tried resting him – working him, hydrotherapy; ointments and old remedies, but nothing appeared to be working.

She had called the vet, who was currently checking him over, standing up, the vet sighed, "I'm sorry Mich… I can't be sure, but I think its muscle related and if I'm right – it's degenerative."

Mich sighed, "Is there anything we can do to locate the source of the problem?" The vet nodded… Getting a local anaesthetic, he injected Storm in the lowest joint of his back leg - there was no change. Moving up the leg, he became more and more worried.

The final injection was to the stifle joint, at last Storm began to walk normally. Turning to look at Mich, he saw the tears in her eyes. She knew… "I'm sorry Mich, I know what he means to you."

Mich was fighting to control the tears; the stifle muscle was the equivalent of an athlete's groin – and the centre of the horse's power and strength. Storm's was damaged and would probably never heal. Very few horses recovered from a stifle injury – and never returned to full work.

"How bad do you think it is?"

The vet shrugged, "The dose I used was very small. Try him with Equipalazone, one packet a day to begin with, increase it as you need to, but when you reach eight a day…" The vet stopped, Mich nodded, she knew what he meant.

"Until he's on four packets a day you can give him some light work Mich – just riding out. Nothing more, I'm afraid you'll have to retire him."

She sighed, "I'll make the calls, he's supposed to go to London with me – I'll see if they'll let me take a reserve horse. At least I have one…"

The vet was intrigued, "I'd heard they want you to take Knight and Storm, but who will you take as Storm's replacement?"

Mich smiled, "I have two choices – either Zephyr, or a young horse I've been training up… Dream Weaver… He's almost as good as Knight was at 5, although he's a bit young."

The Vet shook his head, "I wish you luck Mich, you have a job on your hands to get them all fit in time. Only two months to go."

Mich chuckled, "That's why I have a good team around me Doc, Kyra is good enough to help get them ready and Kate is back to full fitness after having Enrique."

Turning Storm out into the field as the vet left, Mich stayed for a few minutes leaning on the gate, tears in her eyes. Storm had been such a good horse for her, only 12 years old; he should have been competing for at least another four years in top flight competitions.

As the memories came flooding back, the tears started to roll down Mich's face…

"Mich?" Seeing the look on her face, Kate immediately knew that it was bad news, upset for her best friend, she caught Mich in a hug and held her closely. They had become so close over the past four years several people mistook them for sisters.

Kate sighed; she knew how much each horse meant to Mich – even those that she trained for others. There were times when she swore that Mich could read the horses mind – such was the bond that she shared with some.

For this to happen to Storm – her first top horse – Mich would feel it for a while. For her it would be like someone else losing a close family member – or a child.

After a few minutes, Mich dried her eyes and pulled away. "Thanks Kate…" Kate gave her a sympathetic half smile and walked back to the barn, nothing more needed to be said. Giving a deep sigh, Mich turned to follow her, knowing that the trials of the day were not yet over.

&&&

Completing her stable day, Mich went inside, Horatio had called to say he was catching up with paperwork and would be a little later than usual. Mich allowed herself a half smile – in that respect, they were so alike. Thankfully Kate had finished her accounts course, and handled all the Barn accounts, Mich would never have managed alone…

Relaxing on the sofa for a minute, she turned to the immediate situation. Dinner was ready – a tossed salad was waiting in the fridge, she had been preparing it when the vet had arrived, and it wouldn't take long to prepare the chicken – she would do that when H arrived home… Or at 7.30, whichever came sooner, she was betting on the clock…

Kyra had reminded her of her promise to talk earlier that day, and it was something she would not avoid. The night before H had admitted to her that Kyra had asked him about Jack – and that Kyra had realised that he was not her dad. Taking a deep breath, Mich got up from the sofa and walked up the stairs.

Knocking on Kyra's door, she walked in quietly and sat down on the little sofa that she and H had put in the room a couple of years before – giving Kyra the independence of inviting friends over and being able to have a 'private' place where they could have fun.

Kyra joined her, and after a moment of silence spoke quietly, "Why didn't you tell me about my real dad?"

Mich sighed. "I always wanted to, but it never seemed to be the right time. Either you had exams – or I was too busy with the horses, I guess I was afraid too. Afraid how you would react… I'm sorry."

Kyra smiled and gave Mich a hug, "It's ok, H said that you might be afraid. He said he was afraid to tell Aunt Yelina about Madison in the beginning, because he knew it would make her unhappy."

Mich nodded. "I was trying to protect you from that too I guess…"

"Do you have a picture of him?"

Mich was startled, "Yes I do, only a small one, but I suppose you can have it. It's not like I need it anymore." Quickly retrieving the picture from a shoebox in her wardrobe, she gave it to her daughter; Kyra took a good look at the picture and started to smile…

Giving her mum a sideways look, she chuckled, "He's cute. Now I know why you liked him."

Mich blushed and began to chuckle, "Yeah he was cute, but we'd split up before I realised I was expecting you."

Kyra stopped smiling and became thoughtful. "What was he like?" Mich hesitated; Kyra knew some of her past, but not everything. Slowly Mich began to tell her daughter about the situation – including almost everything – but editing out the more sensitive information.

When she had finished, Kyra was quiet, "Will I ever get to meet him?"

Mich shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know sweetie, that's up to you. I won't stop you if that is what you want, but remember, this all happened over fifteen years ago. One thing I will ask is that you wait until you are older. Please…"

Kyra nodded her agreement and took a deep breath. "So what happened to dad, I mean Jack?" Mich closed her eyes; there was no easy way out of this one.

&&

Kyra was concerned, at the mention of her 'dad's' name, her mum had gone pale, but slowly, her mum had told her the story of how Jack had been killed – including her involvement, exactly as it had been written in the official report.

Mich talked very little about what had happened between them at home – deliberately keeping the conversation to the immediate events surrounding Jack's death, but looking at her daughter's face, she knew that Kyra realised there was more to the story.

Kyra in turn, spotted the pain in her mum's eyes, but chose not to push the issue. It was something she obviously didn't like talking about – maybe Horatio would give her some answers… though she doubted it. He was always very protective of her mum, which brought her on to her final question.

&&

Going into the house, Horatio was at first concerned at how quiet it was, then remembered that Amber was at Rainbow Brownies – and would be home in the next 20 minutes or so, and, going into the sitting room could just make out two voices coming from Kyra's room.

Smiling to himself, he hoped that they were talking things through – though from the quiet tone he could hear it seemed to be going ok. After a quick glass of OJ - Mich always kept some in the fridge – he decided to head up for a shower. Overhearing Kyra's question made him pause, and smile, Mich was certainly getting the Spanish Inquisition tonight.

"So how do you know mum, how do you know when someone is the right person for you?"

Mich chuckled. "Oh I don't know, it just feels… right. I don't know how to explain it. With some people you know from the first time you meet. That's how it was with me and your dad I guess… With other people it takes longer – builds up over time."

"Is that what happened with Horatio?"

Mich was a little taken aback by her daughter's question, but smiling, she shook her head, "No… Horatio sort of crept up on me out of the blue, I liked him a lot, but never really thought about him as anything more than a very close friend."

Mich went quiet; remembering the day H had admitted how he felt. "I was totally stunned that he felt like he did… but I soon found out that I felt the same way and apart from the short time we spent apart, I don't think I've ever known anyone like him."

Kyra smiled at the look on her mum's face. "You love him very much don't you mum."

Mich nodded "I think we share something very few people find these days, but don't think its easy sweetie. I nearly lost him; I don't want that to happen again."

Horatio paused, he wasn't one to eavesdrop on a private conversation, but he had just been about to walk in the room when he heard Kyra's last question. Though he was gratified with Mich's answer – she never said anything verbally, but he just knew… a touch or a look was enough – he didn't want to walk in at that particular moment.

He was just about to walk away, when Kyra's next question stopped him in his tracks….

"If you love each other so much, why don't you get married?"

Mich was speechless, and it was a while before she answered, "To be honest sweetie, we've never discussed it… I never wanted to push him, after what happened to Marisol, and I suppose I'm a little afraid too… I guess one day we'll talk about it and maybe do something… but I'm happy with things as they are. I know Horatio loves me, it's enough…. He doesn't need to prove anything."

H walked back to the bedroom and began to change; he would have a shower later. Cursing to himself, he suddenly realised how many decisions he would have to make in a short space of time, the problem was – he didn't know what he should choose.

Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the images forming in his mind, images from the past that were beginning to haunt his waking hours.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Horatio was quiet through dinner, Mich said nothing, but from the look on his face knew that he was thinking about something; something that was bugging him, a lot. Amber and Kyra were joking together and Mich was happy that the recent difficulties with her eldest daughter were now over.

Telling the girls to disappear after dinner, she persuaded H to help her take the dinner plates into the kitchen. Washing up was done quickly between the two of them, and as she wiped the cooker down, she came to a decision, "Why don't we go for a walk?"

H nodded, not really paying attention to what Mich was saying, 20 minutes later, they were down on the beach, Mich telling H about her chat with Kyra. Though she didn't mention that he had also been part of the conversation, H was not surprised. That would come another day, and he was relieved that she didn't seem to want to talk about it now.

She also told him about Storm, "Oh sweetheart, I am so sorry." H caught her in his arms, almost smothering her for a moment, trying to give her comfort, knowing that the loss of her horse would affect her deeply, though he would be the first to admit he didn't quite understand.

Closing his eyes as he held her, H thought about whether to tell Mich his own news, but realised he had to – she had pushed him to come for a walk for a reason – he pulled a face, she knew him too darn well. Thank god she didn't know what else was going on in his head right now – it would really worry her, and it was the last thing she needed at the moment.

"So how was your day? Tough one I'm guessing…" H mentioned the driver and her anonymity, which surprised Mich, but as usual, she came up with an idea or two that he could check into the following day. Knowing his job, Mich had a slightly different perspective, and could spot other things that the team could consider.

Pausing for a moment, H sat down on a nearby bench, "What's wrong Horatio? Is this to do with the Olympic job?"

H shook his head, "No…" Slowly he began to tell Mich about his conversation with the Chief. Mich sighed, she knew sooner or later that this was going to happen, but the timing – coming on top of her recall to MI5 – was a bitter blow.

"What are you going to do?"

H dropped his head, "I don't know… I need to think about it."

Mich was upset and a little concerned at his answer – H usually had a clear mind when it came to decision making. "You can't stop working Horatio, the city needs your experience… needs you."

Horatio frowned, "Retirement is not an option sweetheart, but I can't see me playing politics with the Mayor either, can you?"

Mich had to agree, the one thing Horatio loathed were the budget meetings that he had to attend – fighting for every penny his team needed to do their job. But no-one would sponsor a CSI team – no matter how good they were. At least the DNA lab had FBI funding – it was a big help, unfortunately it also meant that the politicians in the city thought that they could cut back local funding because of it.

Giving H a hug, Mich shook her head, "Well we're not going to solve that problem overnight. It's something that we'll have to look into, at least as chief you would still have some contact with the team, and I'm sure Calleigh would pop into your office from time to time for a little 'chat' on occasion."

H smiled, "You always look on the bright side don't you?"

Mich chuckled, "I have to, what help would I be otherwise?" Standing up, H drew her close for a quick kiss, before tucking her back under his arm, and leading the way back to the SUV.

Talking about the problem had helped, but H was still not happy about being forced into the Chief's chair. There had to be something else, another way in which he could work., another way in which he could help the city he loved.

&&&

The following morning found Calleigh and Natalia going through the Jane Doe's clothing which had been taken from the hospital, Ryan going over the SUV, and Eric trying to find a print to match the partials he had found on the tyre iron. So far all the partials had matched Jack Parker, but it didn't hurt to check.

"You know Calleigh, I'm a little confused, her clothing is all good quality – though not top market, but I would guess that she wears a size 8 shoe." Natalia was inspecting the sandals that the woman had been wearing.

"What's the problem? They look like a size 8 to me."

Natalia sighed, "Then why are they labelled as a size 5?"

Calleigh was startled, "Let me see that…" Taking one of the shoes, she saw that Natalia was indeed correct – the number 5 clearly stamped into the sole of the shoe.

"We've got a lead… but we're going to need help."

Natalia gave her colleague a quizzical look, "Care to share?"

Calleigh chuckled, "Different countries have different sizes, I'm not sure exactly, but I think if we check a conversion table, we'll find out where our Jane Doe bought her shoes.

It only took a few minutes, "So… They were purchased in the UK, does that mean our Jane Doe is British?"

Calleigh wasn't sure, "Maybe, but another possibility is that she is European and bought her shoes on a shopping trip. However, it does give us a couple more databases to search."

Natalia smiled, "I'll check immigration… Are you going to Interpol?"

Calleigh nodded, "Yeah, but first I'm going to check in with H, he has a contact in Scotland Yard. They may be able to find out where the shoe was sold, help us to narrow down the field a little."

&&&

Eric grinned, he had found something, one of the partials was not a match to Parker, giving Ryan a quick call, he put the print into AFIS, hoping that he might find a match, but it was a long shot.

"Ryan… Have you found anything?"

"Not sure, I think I may have found a couple of prints on the inside of the door handle. Just checking it out… Why?" Eric explained what he had found, and that he wasn't sure if he could get a match due to the size of the sample.

"So you want me to see what I can find. Where's there's one print, there might be more… right."

An hour later, there was still no match to the partial that Eric had found, but Ryan had found 6 more, two on the rear passenger side door handle, one on the rear driver side door handle and two partials on the inside of the rear passenger side door.

"Everything else I've found was so badly smudged it was unworkable." He waved his hand over what must have been 3 dozen contact sheets of various sizes, "There must have been one hell of a fight going on."

Eric stared at him, "Ryan, I think you've cracked it. It explains why our Jane Doe was out of control. There was not just one man in the back of the SUV – but two, the presence of the partial print on the tyre iron, if we can just find another."

Ryan grinned. "I'll go back to the SUV, maybe I can find something more."

Calleigh walked into H's office after tapping on the door. He was talking with the Englishman she had seen a few days before, "Sorry to bother you H, but I think we might have a lead on our Jane Doe – and we need some help."

H waved her in, "I'd like you to meet someone Cal, Chief Superintendent Derek Foster… Calleigh Duquesne." Derek stood and offered a hand, which Calleigh took chuckling.

"Mind reading now H?" Horatio was confused, until she explained what she and Natalia had found. "Natalia's checking the immigration database; I was hoping we could run something down on the UK side."

Derek smiled "Well Miss Duquesne, if you let me have a copy of all the pictures you have of the young lady and her clothing, we'll see if we can help – I'm leaving tonight, but I'll be back in work the day after tomorrow. Do you have any prints?"

Calleigh nodded, "Our vic is in Dade Memorial – I can let you have photograph copies, anything you can find out will help. At the very least we can put a name to her."

Leaving H's office, Calleigh went back to her lab to copy everything she and Natalia had found.

"Looks like we're working together already Horatio."

H gave Derek a half smile, "This part I don't mind Derek, but I really don't see how I can help with your operation."

Derek smiled, but was cautious with his answer – he had spotted the doubt in H's eyes. "Let me put it this way Horatio, you're the buffer between myself and Mich. With the leak coming out at top level, we absolutely cannot meet – It'll blow both our covers."

H sighed, about to say something, but Derek stopped him, "I need you to be involved H – you're the only person who will be able to keep Mich focused on her work. That's why MI5 accepted her resignation. She was on the edge of a breakdown when Jack died – too long in the field without a break."

Wanting to take away his doubts, Derek caught H's arm , "Horatio, the only reason why she got through the last mission was because you were there and she had Kyra to keep her feet on the ground. We'd given her a year to train with the blades – then another to get her riding qualifications – two years to build her cover here, but still she nearly cracked."

"I've sold you to the powers that be as an intermediary contact – a messenger if you like, but your job is more important than that. You have to be there for her, keep her strong, focused."

"How am I supposed to…?"

"Just do what you do every day of your life Horatio… Be her friend, her partner… her lover… Whatever she needs you to be, whatever you do now, keep doing it. She is already stronger than she was when she left the UK, and that is mainly down to you."

H was staggered, Mich had said on several occasions that he gave her strength – and he could never understand what she meant, but now he had an idea. He gave Derek a rueful smile, "I guess I can cope with that."

Derek chuckled, "I thought you might see it that way."

&&&

Mich walked back into the barn, Dream Weaver walking alongside her, ears pricked, but relaxed. His boss was happy, he knew that, and was happy because of it. Unlike most of the other horses in the barn, Dream had come to Mich in a bad state. Badly treated, he had been terrified of the slightest thing, but slowly had calmed down in Mich's hands. The results had been amazing – once she had won his confidence, Dream gave her everything he had – which was top class ability.

Putting him away after their quiet ride around the farm, Mich smiled, her decision made. Knight and Dream would accompany her to the UK, but she hoped the young chestnut would be ok during the journey; she had stabled them side by side so Dream could get friendly with his travelling partner. As a last resort she would travel with them, just in case. It was rare to find a horse that panicked during a flight these days, but that didn't mean that it couldn't happen.

As she turned away from the stable door, Dream's tack over her arms and shoulder, a sharp pain in her back made her catch her breath, "No… not now…" She leaned against Dream's door waiting for the pain to subside.

Ever since the accident five years ago that had revealed her pregnancy with Amber, her back had been weakened and periodically the pain would remind her that she had to be careful. Coming now, while she was training for the Olympics worried her, she hoped that it was just a result of the increased amount of training she was doing and decided to ease off for a couple of days. The horses would benefit from a break too.

As the pain began to ease, she put her equipment away and checked the barn before going inside the house and to her bedroom. Looking in the wardrobe, she pulled out her back support, calling Kyra to help her put it on. "Is it bad mum?"

Mich shook her head, "No sweetie, I'll be ok, just a little too much training, I'll take a break for a couple of days."

Kyra pulled a face – her mum had been pushing it, but she said nothing. H would say enough when he came home from work, "Don't you dare say anything to H, Kyra, you know what he's like."

Kyra nodded, she wouldn't need to, H would see the brace anyway.

&&&

Pulling up outside the barn, H sighed to himself – he'd been caught late again. Mich was not going to be happy, checking his watch he grimaced – it was after 9pm, Amber would already be asleep, and Kyra would be in her room, probably getting ready for bed.

Walking inside, he quietly stepped into the living room and walked over to the sofa, Mich was dozing, but he stopped short when he saw she was wearing the brace again. "Mich… Hey sweetheart…Sorry I'm late." He smiled as she slowly opened her eyes.

Only once had he tried to surprise her whilst she was dozing on the sofa – and nearly ended up in hospital as Mich had reacted with instinct that had come from her training – nearly breaking his nose. Fortunately, realising who he was, those same reflexes had come in to play and as Mich pulled her punch, he had managed to avert his face a little. Mich had caught his cheek, leaving a week long bruise that Eric and Ryan had not been shy to tease him about…

"You're late."

"And you've hurt your back again… Shall we call it quits this time?"

Mich chuckled, "Deal… Hungry?"

H shook his head, "I got one of the guys to get me something when I realised I was going to be late, so you wouldn't need to cook…"

"You could have called…"

"I thought we were going to call it quits." Mich fell silent, H chuckled, and pulled her close, "Just be careful ok…"

As Mich snuggled in closer, H understood what Derek had meant, how Mich drew comfort from him. Smiling, he now knew he would be able to give Mich the support she needed, and felt strengthened by that knowledge, though he was still unsure as to whether he would be any help at all. How could he help Mich, when he could barely do the same for himself?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Natalia walked through the lab, heels clicking as she made her way to trace. The people who were walking towards her quickly stepped to one side, to allow her to pass unimpeded. Natalia was the type of person who wore her emotions on her sleeve, and everyone could tell what type of mood she was in as soon as she walked through the door. Today, it was a bad one……

Glancing up, Eric hid a smile; Ryan was really going to get it this time. Just as he was deciding whether to change his position so he could catch the conversation, he spotted Horatio coming out of his office…

"Ms Boa Vista, I'm glad you are in so early this morning, I need you to do something for me…" Natalia stopped mid-flight. Though she was now into her sixth year as a CSI, she still didn't have the confidence to face down her boss – though she had no problems doing it to Ryan and Eric.

"We have received a call from the Gables, I'd like you to get out there ASAP… Calleigh will meet you there – she's already on her way." Natalia swallowed down the words that were on the tip of her tongue and turned back the way she had come, quietly swearing under her breath.

Casting a glance in Eric's direction, H raised an eyebrow; Eric quickly found something that needed his urgent attention.

"Mr Wolfe… My office please."

Ryan's head appeared from where he had been 'conveniently' discussing a case with Dan. Hoping that the presence of another team member would dissuade Natalia from continuing their disagreement of the night before, however, H's tone of voice signified that maybe Natalia was the lesser of two evils.

Walking into his boss's office, Ryan became concerned, H was a tough boss but a fair one, nevertheless the look on his face today showed that he was not a happy man. "Have you and Natalia had another fight?" Ryan nodded, "This is becoming a little frequent Ryan and the fact is you are both now bringing your problems into work. This makes it my problem, if you cannot work together, I will have to request that one of you is transferred elsewhere."

Ryan stared at his shoes as H continued, "You are both excellent CSI's but your personal life is beginning to take over. I would not like to be the person who has to choose which one of you stays, but if you compare your records, you must know who would be selected if it were up to others to decide. I suggest that you and Natalia sort yourselves out… and quickly."

Ryan nodded, as H returned to his paperwork, he paused and looked up as Ryan hesitated, "What is it?"

"Natalia wants to get married…"

H tried with difficulty to stay composed, not sure he was succeeding, "and what do you want?"

Ryan sighed, "I'm not sure, I love her H, but… What do you think?"

Horatio pulled a face, "You really think I'm qualified to answer that one?"

Ryan tried not to laugh, "You have a point, but when I said to Natalia that you and Mich seemed happy with your arrangements, she freaked out."

H began to chuckle, "I believe you…" he sighed. "Ryan… You will never know what Mich and I have been through – not only together, but in our past. It makes our case a little… different… If you need advice, I would suggest you go and ask a married man."

Watching the young CSI leave, he began to chuckle. He could imagine how Natalia had reacted. It seemed that the men in his charge were doomed to have their lives ruled over by strong women; Kate was every bit as feisty as Natalia could be, and he knew that she kept Eric on his toes.

Glancing over to Eric's section, he saw the two young men talking. Eric briefly threw him a nasty look, which made him chuckle even more, but the situation also made him thoughtful for a moment. How would Mich react if he had done the same thing that Ryan had done? Natalia's reaction would probably be a midsummer breeze in comparison to what Mich would have thrown at him in the same situation. Smiling, he returned to his work.

&&&

Mich's patience was sorely being tested. She had been sent to a dressmaker by the British Olympic team committee, to be fitted out for her 'uniform'. It would only be worn once – at the opening ceremony of the games, but Mich's details of her sizes had been vague at best, shoes size 5 ½ , jacket/blouse size 12, and skirt size 12 – all UK measurements, she had thought it enough, but the committee obviously didn't think so.

The jacket and skirt were in red, with a white blouse with thin blue stripe – it looked 'very smart' as the dressmaker said to her, and she agreed, but it did not mean she was comfortable. The worst thing was, she would have to stay in it for approximately four hours, and she was not looking forward to it.

Forty-five minutes later, and she was done, thanking the dressmaker she fled, hoping that the woman would not hold her back for 'just another little alteration my dear'. Opening her phone, she called Horatio, "I'm done… Join me for lunch?" Grinning at his answer, she made her way to their usual café.

Ten minutes later, they were sharing some toasted sandwiches while Mich had her orange juice and H his coffee, "So, how was it?"

Mich's face told him the story, "I don't know why the British team can't wear their tracksuits like everyone else…"

H chuckled. "You are the host nation this year sweetheart, you have to present yourselves properly…" Mich gave him an evil look.

"I'll remember that, when you ask me why you have to wear a collar and tie to your next budget meeting." Seeing his eyes twinkling, she asked what had put him into such a good mood.

Passing on the details of Ryan and Natalia's little dispute, Mich began to grin. "So I sent him to get advice from a married man…"

"Eric?" H nodded, Mich burst out laughing, "He is really going to get you for that…" Smiling, she fell silent for a second.

"Mich…? Are you ok…?"

Looking up, she grinned at him. "I'm fine, just thinking a little…"

H felt a little uneasy, "Penny for your thoughts…"

Mich shook her head, "Nothing important… Don't worry about it." H sighed, when Mich said that something wasn't important, usually, it was.

&&

Driving back to the barn, Mich was a little quiet, hearing that Natalia wanted to get married, and Ryan seemed to be backing off made her think about the relationship she had with H. She had decided a long time ago that she wouldn't pressure him into anything, yet the thought of making an 'official' commitment was becoming more important to her, but she was also afraid.

If H really didn't want to go down that road after what had happened to Marisol, and she forced his hand – would it cause problems between them, would he leave? She decided that she didn't want to find out.

&&

As H returned to the lab, he too was thinking. Was he being fair to Mich? Was getting married really that much of a problem? He decided it wasn't, but how would Mich react. Would he be able to take it if she was happy with the way things were – and felt that he was trying to trap her? Mich liked her independence…

The other reason he hesitated was much darker. Jack Bailey had caused Mich so much pain when they had been married; H was worried that to ask her to take that step again would call back the ghosts. He had scared them away once – but wasn't sure if he could do it again, especially as he had his own demons to control.

Pausing before he got out of the Hummer, he too decided that he didn't want to know.

&&&&&&&&

Calleigh was grinning, Natalia had told her about 'the situation' as it was becoming known in the lab, "Come on Natalia, we all know that Ryan has to be prepared for this kind of thing… Anything out of the ordinary freaks his OCD."

Natalia sighed, "I've been trying Calleigh, but he just hasn't taken up any of the hints I've thrown in his direction, so I thought I'd come straight out with it."

Calleigh began to laugh, "So what did you tell him?"

"I said that it was ridiculous that we should still have our own apartments when we've been living together for such a long time, and that maybe we should sell one of them. He seemed ok with that."

Calleigh encouraged her to continue, "Well then I suggested that maybe we should make it official. You know, that we were together, he got a little wide eyed at that point."

Calleigh was now laughing out loud, "Let me guess, you didn't quit at that point, but kept digging the hole."

Natalia nodded, "He asked me 'How official' we should make it… So I told him."

Calleigh sat down on the seat of the parked Hummer that she had been about to get into, giggling uncontrollably, "Oh Natalia… He was probably thinking about some kind of house warming party and you upped the stakes a little."

Natalia began to chuckle. "Oh my… I didn't think of that. Oh poor Ryan… No wonder he flew out of my apartment." For a moment the two of them were laughing so much, neither could move, but the ringing of Calleigh's cell soon brought them out of their mirth.

"Calleigh Duquesne… They have…? Oh that's great… We'll be back in 20…" Closing the cell, she grinned at Natalia, "Scotland Yard have got a match for the shoe and given us a name for our Jane Doe in the hospital."

Returning to the lab, Natalia excused herself and went looking for Ryan, who was very nervously working in trace. Calleigh joined Eric, and they exchanged notes regarding the situation. Watching closely, they saw the intense relief on Ryan's face as Natalia explained herself, but then a look of shy hesitation as he responded.

A soft footstep made Calleigh glance back, and she spotted H walking in, "So Eric… What do you think…? Have you managed to convince Mr Wolfe that his situation is not so bad?"

Eric chuckled, "We'll soon find out…" Watching closely, the three of them began to smile as Natalia first looked shocked, then smiled, before giving Ryan a big hug and a kiss, "Looks like a yes to me… You next Calleigh?"

Calleigh chuckled. "Have to find me the right man first… It seems all the best men I know are taken, Horatio will get there before me." She turned hoping to catch H out, but her boss was gone.

"What are those two waiting for?"

Eric shook his head. "I don't know, I tried to hint at both of them, and Kate ripped my head off and told me to butt out. I guess they're happy the way they are."

&&

"Afternoon Horatio…" Looking up, H sat back in his chair and welcomed the Chief into his office. As he settled down into the chair opposite, the chief gave H an intense look, "Mind telling me what's going on here today? First thing I hear is that Ms Boa Vista and Mr Wolfe are at each others throats again and now they seem fine."

H quickly filled him in on the mornings 'situation' and the chief began to chuckle, "about time those two got themselves sorted out, should've done it a long time ago." H nodded his agreement.

"Well, I won't beat around the bush Horatio. You know why I'm here… Have you spoken to Mich?"

H smiled, "She wasn't happy at first, but when she found out that it coincides with the time she'll be in the UK for the Games, she very quickly changed her mind… She's already got a family friend looking for somewhere for us to live."

"So you'll be accepting the exchange then. Good… What about the other matter we discussed?"

H sighed, "I'm thinking about it… I do have until next year Chief."

His boss nodded, "I have no problem with that Horatio, but I would suggest that you don't take that long about it. I would advise you to make your choice by the time you return from the UK – otherwise, someone will be taking the decision for you… I'll leave you to pass the news on to your team."

Getting up, he waved H back into his seat and left, H stared after him. What the hell? The Chief had given him a warning, he was sure of it. Someone was pushing for a result and H had a feeling he knew who it was. He swore quietly to himself… What in the hell was the world coming too, why couldn't people just let him get on with his job?

Pushing his chair away from his desk, he could feel the headache building behind his eyes. Reaching into his desk, he took out the Tylenol that he kept there – noticing that the packet was almost empty – he would need to buy more. Taking a quick sip of water to help the tablets down his throat, he decided to tell his team the news straight away.

Walking out of his office, the first team member he came across was Natalia… "Everything ok?" Natalia smiled and shyly nodded her head, smiling back; H asked if she could round up the team and ask them to come to his office.

"What's going on H?" Eric knew that this was an unusual situation – normally H would come and see them, not the other way around.

"There are going to be a couple of changes around here soon, and I'd rather you all found out from me than the usual grape vine." The team looked at each other curiously, "Calleigh... you will be up on temporary promotion for ten weeks, and you will be joined by a new CSI."

"What about you H, what's happening?" Calleigh couldn't believe it. The only time that would ever happen would be if H was leaving.

H chuckled, "I'm going to be in the UK. Scotland Yard have requested an exchange – and they seem to think that I'm the person they need."

Eric grinned, "That's fortunate… Mich will be there for the games, I bet she's happy about the deal."

H's grin answered that one, "My exchange will not leave you under strength, a British Forensic officer will be joining you – Detective Rhys Williams. You'll be trading ideas, as well as working together."

Telling them that he would give them more details later, he told them to continue working, asking Ryan to stay behind. "Everything ok Mr Wolfe? Good… I have a request from Mich; she asked if you could return her blades as soon as it is convenient."

Ryan stared at Horatio, Mich had given him her Samurai blades as a thank you gift after her work against the Cartels four years ago, "H… Mich said they were mine to keep. Does that mean?" The look in H's eyes answered that question.

Ryan swallowed, "I'll arrange it straight away H, should I take them direct to the barn?"

H nodded, "I trust we can keep this between us Mr Wolfe…"

Looking at his boss Ryan couldn't help his final words, "I'm sorry Horatio; it looks like the past caught up after all."

H sighed, "Not half as sorry as I am Ryan, but there's nothing any of us can do to help this time."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Calleigh went to reception, her mind reeling with the prospect of being in charge of the lab for 10 weeks… Could she cope? She had stood in for Horatio before, a few days when he was in Rio, a couple of weeks when he was out of action from the bullet in his knee. But then he had been on the end of a phone line, so if she was really stuck she could call him, this time was not the case. She truly would be on her own.

Part of her was already looking forward to the challenge, was she good enough to step into Horatio's shoes? The thought made her go cold, but why? Picking up the envelope from Paula, she was about to head over to join Natalia when a thought hit her… Instead she headed for Horatio's office.

Tapping on the door, she walked in, H turned from where he had been thoughtfully looking out of the window. "Can I ask you something Horatio?"

H smiled, he had been waiting for Calleigh to put two and two together. "What is it Calleigh?"

"What's going on? I mean, why have you suddenly been asked to go on this exchange, why have I been asked to run the team, there are two other CSI's on the other shifts with more seniority than I."

Motioning to her to close the door, H told her that a request had come in for the exchange, and he had been asked to go so Calleigh would have an opportunity to prove her abilities. "I have every confidence in you Calleigh, I know you can lead this team. It's about time you were given the chance"

"That only answers part of my question Horatio." H sighed, he and Calleigh were close, he always thought of her as a kid sister – and she knew him better than most, even Eric didn't know him so well. "Are you leaving us Horatio, is that why I'm being tested?"

H gave her a tired smile, "Calleigh, I can't stay forever, but I'm not leaving just yet, I still have a year."

Calleigh dropped her head, "It's going to be strange not having you around, what will you do?"

H couldn't help but show his uncertainty, "To be completely honest, I really don't know. The obvious options are up to Chief, or out on retirement."

Calleigh pulled a face, "I can't see you doing either, you hate politics, and Mich would go crazy having you under her feet all the time. You could join a private consultancy I guess."

H chuckled, "and how would you lot feel if I had to come in and investigate the evidence you had collected?"

Calleigh shrugged her shoulders, "You do it now, it's not a problem."

"But now we are on the same side. If I work for a private firm, I would be put up against you. At the beginning, the team wouldn't worry, but soon you would come to resent my presence. I don't have many friends Calleigh, and within this lab is the only family I've had for over ten years, I'm not going to jeopardize that for anything."

Calleigh became silent, she knew that what H said was true, and she knew how much he valued the relationship he had with all of them. Last Christmas, he and Mich had invited them all over for Christmas dinner, it had been a great day and H had said he would like to continue the tradition on other occasions – that would not be able to happen if he worked for a consultancy, it would be considered a conflict of interest for both sides.

H's voice broke into her thoughts, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to the rest of the team, they'll work it out soon enough…"

Calleigh nodded and excused herself, but she could not get the information out of her head. There had to be something H could do, she was also concerned, H had recently begun to distance himself from the team, working in his office rather than coming around the labs. She had spotted him taking tablets from time to time, and noticed the pain in his eyes. The doubt in his voice had surprised her, a lack of confidence that she had never expected to see. She wondered if Mich had noticed anything…

&&&&

Looking at the information, Natalia smiled, the shoes were not much help, they were sold by a company called IKEA, a Europe-wide chain of stores, similar to Wall-Mart, and could have been purchased anywhere in the UK. She thanked the Lord that the Brits had kept to their imperial measurements; the European metric sizes would have caused her to have a much larger area to search.

"Superintendent Foster's people found that this particular size and style was sold in almost all of their large city stores. Without more information, we wouldn't have a clue where to start."

Calleigh agreed, "But at least we have information on our vic. Theresa Kalinina, aged 26, originally believed to come from the Ukraine, though the British authorities are not completely sure, she could be from any of the former western Russian republics. Last recorded movement out of the UK was six months ago when she went to France – apparently for a holiday."

Natalia nodded, "It's not a lot to go on Calleigh, they were unable to find out if she had any next of kin."

Calleigh nodded, "I have a feeling that her next of kin are probably still in her home town."

Natalia raised an eyebrow, "Do you think she's an illegal?"

Calleigh shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure, Derek Foster has sent a copy of her prints to Interpol to see if they have anything we can use. We should have a response in a day or two."

&&

Eric and Ryan grinned at each other, after running the prints that Ryan had found; they had come up empty handed, until Eric had suggested that they take the Range Rover apart.

"If there was a fight going on between two men, maybe our mystery person put his hand under one of the seats during the struggle…" Ryan agreed, and the two of them had headed for the garage.

Ryan had found the dark coloured hair caught on the underside of the rear passenger seat, and Eric had found another partial print on the underside of the drivers chair. The other prints hadn't had enough reference points for identification purposes, but he thought that this one might.

Both items had brought up evidence – the print had matched with a name on AFIS, and there had also been a DNA match on CODIS. The name, Mitch Walker…

Ryan stared at the AFIS screen, "I recognise that name from somewhere."

Eric agreed, looking at the details his eyes opened wide, "We know this guy, he used to work for John Buchannon. Remember the bank robberies about five years ago? He was the one H caught briefing a group of illegals for the next robbery."

Ryan nodded and smiled, "Wasn't it at one of those robberies where H first met Mich?"

Eric chuckled, "Yeah… but now Walker's out on parole – has been for six months – they couldn't tie him to anything more severe than a couple of conspiracy charges, but he must be doing something on his own now."

Ryan became thoughtful, "I overheard Paula telling Calleigh that they have info on the Jane Doe. How about we go and compare evidence with the girls, let's see if we can work out the bigger picture."

As the four team-mates conferred, it became apparent that they need a vital piece of information. What was the link between Mitch Walker and Theresa Kalinina…?

"With the DNA evidence, we can get Walker in here for questioning and a warrant to search both his home and business premises for his clothes." Ryan pointed out, "If we can find any trace of blood, we have him."

Calleigh did not look convinced, "Walker is an old hand, as soon as he saw the blood; he would have dumped the clothes… fast… Probably he burned them, and we would have nothing, we need to be careful here. The print and hair lead us to the fact that he was in the car – but he could claim that he was helping her out. There is no print on the murder weapon that we can use."

"How about we get in touch using Theresa…?" Eric suggested, "We could tell him that we found his print inside the car – without giving away too much information – and just ask if he knows who she is. If she knows where she lives for example… If we make it look like we're just collecting information, he might say something of importance that could help us out."

Calleigh nodded, "It sounds like a good idea. Let's fill in the holes before going for a warrant."

Ryan chuckled, "Then I vote that you and Natalia go and speak to him, two beautiful women are more likely to be successful than Eric and I."

Natalia gave Ryan a curious look, "Now why would you say something like that?"

Eric grinned, "Because he knows that Mitch Walker is a bit of a player and two ladies are far less threatening than two guys. He'll think he can charm you away from the truth, but Ryan and I know different, you'll get more out of him than we ever could…"

Natalia narrowed her eyes, trying to work out if Eric was being sincere, or spinning her a line, but Calleigh chuckled, "Ok, we'll go, but that means you two get to work the evidence on our vic this morning."

Ryan readily agreed, as did Eric, and chuckling the girls left, "Do they know that our vic this morning was a five day old bloater…?" asked Natalia, Calleigh shook her head, and began to giggle.

&&&&

Arriving at Walker's club, Calleigh and Natalia were surprised to see that it consisted of four storeys. Talking to the doorman, he showed them to Mitch Walker's office, where his boss was discussing the price of a new security system with a contractor…

"I don't care if the system is difficult to install, I want the security here to be completely upgraded – I cannot afford to lose merchandise like last week." After a few more words, he put the phone down and smiled at the two CSI's..

"Well I do declare Law Enforcement is getting prettier every day. What can I do for you ladies?" Calleigh told him, frowning, Walker shook his head, "The name doesn't ring a bell, do you have a picture?"

Passing over the copy of the photograph which had been sent from the UK, Walkers eyes went wide, "This is one of my dancers, where is she?"

Calleigh smiled at Natalia, who left the office to talk to some of the girls she'd seen taking in the bar, with Walker's permission, while Calleigh herself remained to talk to Walker…

An hour later…

Calleigh was fuming. Walker had led her a merry dance but had been very careful with his answers, admitting to being with 'Tess' on the morning of the accident – they had had lunch together and then had gone their separate ways, that evening was her day off, and he hadn't expected to see her until the night before.

When she hadn't turned up, he thought that maybe she was sick – as a couple of the girls were already down with the flu. "Usually the girls call in – or tell a friend, Tess kept to herself, didn't mix a lot. If she wouldn't have turned up tonight, I would have started asking questions, she's one of the favourites here."

"You said she was a dancer…?" Walker nodded, "Yeah... works the cage in the main club, and the pole on the inside."

"Excuse me…?" Walker grinned, and stood up, indicating that Calleigh should lead the way.

"This is the main club, where we cater for everyone who wants to have normal fun… drinks, good music, a place to hang out with their friends." Leading the way, he showed Calleigh to a side door which was guarded by a familiar looking face, who nodded at Calleigh as she passed by. After going up a flight of stairs, Walker led her into a much smaller room.

"This is our 'men only' club, half the size of the club downstairs, we cater for a much more… 'specific' clientele." Calleigh raised her eyebrows; she didn't really need to be told the 'specifics' in this case.

"How do people get in here?"

"Only through the main bar, there are fire escapes of course, as per rules and regs, but the only way in is past Tim. You also need to be a member – or to be 'invited' in by a friend."

Going behind one of the bars, he pressed a small button, and walked through the next door, "Occupying this half of the floor is the 'Ladies only' section, for the girls it's much easier, they come and go as they please – they don't cause trouble. Their entrance is on the opposite side of the main bar.

As if to illustrate a point, Walker led Calleigh to the other set of stairs, just as she was about to go down, she spotted another door.

"What's through there…?"

Walker smiled, "Changing rooms for the guys, store rooms, the girls changing room is on the other side – but the entrance is behind one of the bars – only this door and the fire escapes go up to the next two floors. I'm hoping to convert the top floor into a club too, but it may need some structural work first – that floor is completely empty. I don't use it at all."

Calleigh nodded, and followed Walker down the stairs, but the single door bugged her… There was something going on here, but she couldn't tell what. One thing she knew was that she had to get Horatio involved, this was far bigger than the RTA of a few mornings ago.

Leading Calleigh back into the main club, Walker paused, "would you like to see my favourite part of the club…?" Calleigh hesitated, but the man's face was open, hiding nothing and obviously proud of his achievement. She nodded.

Walker led her to a double set of doors, "Sound proofing?" Walker nodded, opening the second set, Calleigh gasped, "My boss would love this, and so would his partner." With a delighted grin Calleigh looked carefully around the art deco style piano bar, "This is beautiful… for your older clients I presume?"

Walker laughed, "Actually it's for everyone. Sometimes the youngsters use it to get away from the noise and relax back a little. The trio that work the piano play clients' choice. Jazz, Blues, Modern… Two guys and a girl, amazing group."

"The Fabulous Baker Boys?" Calleigh smiled remembering the film. Walker nodded and laughed – leading the way out of the door.

&&&

Comparing notes with Natalia, who had got nothing more than confirmation of the girls identity, and that she hadn't been seen for a couple of days, they returned back to the lab, "I tell you one thing Calleigh, though I didn't get a lot of information from the girls, one thing I did get is that they are all terrified, of what, I don't know."

"Let's get back to the lab. There is something going on here, and we need to find out what."

Natalia looked at Calleigh curiously, "How are we going to do that?"

Calleigh chuckled, "When was the last time we all had a night out together?"

Natalia was even more confused, "Cryptic Calleigh? You're getting more like H every day…"

&&

Back at the lab, Horatio pushed the thoughts that had been troubling him to the back of his mind, everyone was gathered in the layout room, and Calleigh was detailing what she had seen. He had carefully trained her up, knowing that she had both the skill and dedication to see a case through to the end, as well as the diplomacy and empathy to work both the political scene and deal with victim's families, his little chick was all grown up and ready to fly.

"So, both you and Natalia feel there is something going on here?"

Natalia stepped in, "Horatio, the girls are open enough, but you can see that they are terrified of something – or someone. From what I can see, they all share one physical characteristic… Slavic features, just like Theresa, who we know is from a former Russian republic."

Horatio thought for a moment, "after the Berlin wall came down and the Russians opened their doors, the Eastern Block residents started moving West. Better jobs, better wages… The Russian Mafia made a killing, Russian prostitutes can be found all over Europe, and most of them are unwilling – forced to work to earn a pittance, most of which goes back home to their families."

Calleigh nodded, "add to that, the layout of the club, the male dancers can come and go as they please – the door to their third floor changing room is on an open landing, but the girls' entrance is from behind one of the bars. There are always at least four men on duty at the club – all day, Walker told me that he lost some 'merchandise' last week, and that he has some extra security in until he gets his new system in."

Eric grinned, "You girls certainly did your homework, the thing is, what do we do now? Theresa is still in hospital in a coma, so she can't help us. We don't have enough to get a warrant. We need more information."

Calleigh grinned, "Well we have an old friend working on the inside who might be able to help us out a little… Tim Slater… But I have an idea that could help too."

Natalia chuckled, 'How do you fancy a team stakeout, we haven't been out together in a while. Call it… an engagement party."

Ryan blushed, but nodded, "Why not… Sounds good to me."

H raised an eyebrow, "Me in a club, come on guys, be serious…"

Natalia frowned, "Lieutenant, are you telling me that you are going to turn down an invitation to my engagement party? I'll phone Mich if I have to…"

H sighed, and started to chuckle, "Well girls, it looks like you're running the show on this one… I'll speak to Paul and see if Tim can help us."

&&

Unfortunately, Tim could not… "We've only just got him in Horatio, after Mich took Ramon out, we had to move Tim out quick, we put him into a corporate situation we had in Tampa and got a good result. He's only been back in Miami for a couple of weeks. Walker took him on because he knows what Tim can do, but he hasn't built up enough trust to let Tim in on the inside yet." Paul sighed, "I wish I could help you on this one."

"Maybe you can… Why did you put Tim in there in the first place?"

Paul became thoughtful, "After Mich took out some of the top Cartel people, the lines were redrawn across the city. The Russians control quite a good section – they went for a small but rich area. We believe they are bankrolling Walker, but we have no proof."

Horatio smiled, "Walker would never work for the Cartels, but he did work with Buchannon for the Mafia in the old days. The Russians run a similar kind of shop, they are well known to be involved in prostitution, and Walker has had connections with illegals before – he knows how to get them in, knows the contacts…"

Paul laughed, "so, you and your team going in undercover?"

H scowled, "I have no choice, Mich is going to love it."

Paul became quiet, "For one simple reason Horatio, she needs to know if she's ready…"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Horatio stared. Upon hearing of the "Engagement Party', Mich had promptly decided to go out and buy something new, now she had been living in Florida for seven years, she had learnt to dress 'Miami Style' as she called it. Asking Nicky for his help, she had sectioned part of her wardrobe for her 'dressing up clothes'.

Nicky had taken her British need for classic style and added elegance and an occasional touch of daring. Advising her on what would be appropriate for 'official' functions as H's partner, taking her to the beautician and hairdresser, Mich had hated it – but saw the necessity. As a result, H often found envious looks sent in his direction.

This evening she was wearing a midnight blue dress falling straight to just above her knee. The dress itself was simple – no frills, lace or shiny bits, but pure satin, almost flowing over her body. Hair out of its usual ponytail, H was surprised to notice how long it had become, falling just below her shoulder blades.

Walking across the room H smiled, seeing the glint in Mich's eye as she spotted the effect her new outfit had on him. "So, do you like it?"

H's answer was a soft kiss to her shoulder, even in two inch heels, Mich was still three inches shorter than his six foot, "I think Nicky's out of a job."

Mich chuckled, delighted by the effect, "I'll take that as a yes then." Turning around, she opened the small jewellery box to choose a pair of ear-rings and a necklace.

Horatio reached around her and closed it, opening another box, "Why don't you wear these tonight?"

Mich smiled, H had bought her the sapphire pendant and matching ear-rings just after Amber had been born. She rarely wore them – keeping them for special occasions. "Why not, an engagement party is a special occasion after all."

Doing up the necklace, H delivered the expected kiss to Mich's neck, breathing in the scent of her perfume. "Do we really have to go?"

She chuckled wickedly, "Natalia will kill me if we don't go, save your energy for later sweetheart."

Meeting up with the rest of the team near the club, Horatio noticed that the girls had gone to town. Natalia in red, Calleigh and Alexx in white, Maxine and Paula had both gone for black. The next moment they were joined by Eric and Kate – who had also gone for blue, but pale as opposed to Mich's dark.

Dan and Tyler had also joined them for the evening, along with Alexx's husband and Frank, who joked that this was the best-dressed stakeout he'd ever been on. H pulled a face, the whole team was laughing and joking around – looking forward to a good night out, but still he felt uncomfortable.

"Relax Horatio; we're here for a night out with our friends, nothing more." A soft kiss followed Mich's words, which helped, but still H was wary.

Leading the way, Calleigh went straight to the VIP entrance, she had contacted Walker and asked if it would be ok for her to bring a small party of friends – saying it was a 'surprise' for the newly engaged couple.

Walker himself met them at the door welcoming them inside, "Lieutenant, I'm honoured that you have come with your friends, and your wife is stunning, the two of you should come more often." Walker gently took Mich's hand giving the back a soft kiss.

Mich ignored Walker's slip up with regards to her and Horatio's relationship and chuckled, flirting back, but once inside out of his hearing, she said only one thing. "Snake…"

Horatio smiled, he had thought of something entirely different, and a lot less polite.

Entering the main club, Horatio grimaced; maybe twenty years ago he would have enjoyed coming here, but not now. The music pounded in his ears – if that's what you could call music, Mich smiled, but he could see that it was not exactly her scene either.

Calleigh led them through to the piano bar, where Mich's face changed instantly, a look of delight spreading across her face. Frank chuckled, "Now this is more like it…" Judging by the grins around the group, his feelings were shared by many.

Horatio grinned; this was definitely more to his liking. Though he certainly liked several of the modern singers, and shared Mich's love of rock music, this was closer to his taste than the noise outside.

The trio were currently working their way through a medley of sixties hits – which was already encouraging several couples onto the small dance floor. Joining Frank at the bar, he was not surprised to see the girls heading straight for the dance floor to join in, while the boys either helped to section off part of the bar area for their party, or joined him and Frank at the bar.

"Ok, so it seems the girls are in party mode, Mojito's all round." Eric grinned, saying that the guys were settling for beers. As Horatio and Frank came to pay, they were politely informed that the drinks for the party were 'on the house'.

"Someone's trying to soften us up…"

Horatio agreed with Frank's statement. "Either that or he wants us to drink enough so we don't notice anything strange."

An hour later, the team were thoroughly enjoying themselves – dancing with their partners, changing partners, seemingly just a group of colleagues out for a good night, but a couple of glances between them signalled that it was time for work.

The girls led the exodus, Mich and Calleigh grabbing Natalia and dragging her away from Ryan, Natalia was confused, what was going on? Calleigh hadn't mentioned this… "See you later boys." Mich's comment was delivered with a saucy wink, which made several other clients in the club chuckle.

Horatio raised his eyes skyward, Mich was certainly playing her role tonight. Sighing, he stood and followed the rest of the men out of the door, Calleigh had decided that they needed a ruse to give them time to find out what was going on upstairs – and Mich had suggested surprising Natalia with a 'personal' dancer. At the same time, the boys would do the same for Ryan.

Nodding at Tim Slater as he went through the door to the 'men only' section, H's senses became alert. He noticed that Frank was also looking wary, though the younger men did not seem to be having problems, "I must be getting old Horatio; I don't feel that comfortable here."

Looking around, Horatio felt sickened by what he saw, the club was legitimate, and several of the girls were relaxed as they served drinks, or danced for the entertainment of the male clients, however many were nervous and afraid.

H was not really paying attention to the girl lap dancing with Ryan, looking around, taking in details and what he saw confirmed what Natalia and Calleigh had thought. A lot of the girls were here against their will, which infuriated him. Gritting his teeth he joined the group pretending to have a laugh at Ryan's expense, wondering if Mich had spotted anything.

&&&&

Mich was chuckling as Natalia tried to avoid looking directly ahead at the dancer in front of her. The fact that he was kneeling on the arms of her chair meant that Natalia was having little success.

Looking around, Mich noted that the dancers and waiters were all relaxed and smiling – some sharing a joke with other female clients, coming and going as they pleased on and off the stage, in and out of the door.

Moving to the bar, she attracted the attention of the barman and asked a coy question, laughing, the barman looked at her, "Regular job? No way… This just helps most of us get through our studies. There are only two regular dancers here – Angelo who is with your friend and Karl who'll be in later."

Mich thanked him for her drink and turned to watch the girls for a moment, before reaching into her purse and speed dialling H's number. Seeing the call go through, she cut the line and made her way back to the piano bar.

The bar was almost empty, most of the young people had moved back into the main club, and the trio were currently in 'blues mode' as Mich decided to call it. Sitting down with her drink, she knew she would only need to wait for a few minutes.

&&&

H felt the double vibration from his cell and sighed with relief, excusing himself from the group, he left – not quite hearing the teasing comments coming from the boys, but smiling and waving them off. Mich had agreed to call him when she had seen enough, and he was glad it had come through so quickly.

Walking through the first set of doors into the piano bar, he spotted Mich making herself comfortable on the sofa, waiting. Smiling, he passed by the trio, asking them for something, then chuckling at Mich's curious glance as he joined her.

"You put in a request?" H smiled and said nothing, "So did you see what you needed to see?"

H's face became serious, "Not here…" Mich nodded, reaching for his hand to show she understood. Horatio relaxed a little, "Dance with me?"

Mich grinned, Horatio rarely danced at the functions they went to, and when he did, it was always very technically correct – he was expected to escort his partner around the dance floor a few times – then they would be allowed to leave. On those occasions, he was always a little stiff – aware that people were watching him closely which he disliked intensely. Mich matched him on those occasions, never doing more or less than 'duty' required of them, before they would make their escape.

This evening was different; as H drew her towards him, Mich heard the opening bars of Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' and began to smile. Sometimes they would dance together at home after the girls had gone to bed and she knew Horatio to be a far better dancer than many people thought.

&&&

The rest of the team joined up in the main part of the club, Natalia berating Calleigh for embarrassing her, and headed for the piano bar.

"Oh I say…" Alexx's words, spoken as they passed through the first set of doors, caused them all to hesitate. Quietly they watched through the second set of doors as H and Mich moved around the dance floor alone, perfectly in step and in tune with each other.

Calleigh gasped. "I had no idea Horatio could dance like that…"

Eric chuckled, "There's a lot about H that we don't know. He and Mich have certainly surprised Kate and I over the last couple of years."

He was about to push his way through the door when Kate stopped him, "Wait Eric… Let them finish."

Putting her hand on the door, Alexx shook her head as she saw H and Mich return to their seats. "We have got to get these two down the aisle somehow." From the looks around her, she knew that there was no disagreement to that particular observation.

&&&

Mich and Horatio made their excuses around 2 am, quite legitimately – it was a weekend, and Mich was busy with clients at the barn. Walking to the SUV, Mich could see the troubled look on H's face, knowing he was thinking about the girls inside.

"So…?"

H shook his head, "I guess you found nothing."

Mich nodded, "Except that there are two full-time dancers, and the rest are nearly all college students trying to earn extra cash, all of them coming and going as they please…"

"Damn… I need more information, how am I going to help those girls without it?" Mich looked at him curiously, she thought he would at least have an idea of what he was going to do next, but said nothing.

Turning to face him, she gently ran her fingers across his face. "Maybe one of the others has spotted something." The look on Horatio's face showed what he thought about that, but Mich wasn't really interested, she was taking a final look at the building they had just left.

Reaching the place where they had parked H unlocked the passenger side door so Mich could get in, but was caught off guard when she pulled him to her for a deep kiss. His response was automatic, his hands sliding around her back holding her tightly in his arms, dropping his head to her shoulder, leaving behind a soft kiss of his own.

"Mich… I…"

"You can't do anything about it now H, let's go home." To stop him replying, she once again touched his lips with her own and paused, before reaching up and pulling him closer for another.

H gave a half smile, he had got the hint almost straight away, not that he was at all surprised, he'd seen from the look in Mich's eyes while they were getting ready how the evening was going to finish.

"Do you want to go home or not?"

Stepping into the car, Mich chuckled, but as H moved around the front to the driver's side, she was thoughtful and concerned, Horatio's words a few minutes before had shown him to be uncertain about what to do next – something that she thought she would never see.

Since the bullet had parted his kneecap, H had been more cautious in the more physical aspect of his work, but had always led his team with a clear mind and eye. Recently he had become hesitant of which lines of evidence to follow. The uncertainty that he had just shown, indicated something far more serious than a physical injury. Horatio was beginning to question himself, suspicious of his own thoughts; distrustful of his own ideas.

Mich was worried… H was beginning to doubt himself.

&&&

A few hours later, Mich was studying Horatio's face intently, he was sleeping deeply and as usual, she had woken just before the alarm, turning it off, so it would not wake him, she gazed at H's features.

The lines on his face had become deeper, yet still he drew her eye away from other men, she knew it was the character within the man that the lines represented that held her to him emotionally and mentally. A look from his eyes, which could vary from a pale cold blue to deep blue liquid pools, was enough to take her breath away – she was sure H knew the effect he had on her – he certainly used it enough.

Physically, H was in great shape, maybe not as great as Ryan or Eric, but they were 20 years younger after all. Smiling to herself, she thought back to earlier that morning, their loving had initially been playful, bordering on rough. H had been frustrated at not being able to help the girls – and had let it get to him, the result was a couple of bite marks to Mich's shoulder. Not that she minded, H never lost control – no matter how rough they played, she knew he would never hurt her – and it was a lot of fun after all…

Sighing, she eased out of the bed so she wouldn't disturb Horatio and began to get ready for the day.

&&&

Horatio stirred. Slowly his eyes began to open, and he rolled over to get more comfortable, then sighed when he felt the empty bed. Mich had let him sleep again, turning off the alarm. She did it frequently – especially when he had had a hard week and she thought he needed to rest.

Turning back he noticed the time, after 11 am, he hadn't slept this late in quite a while… Smiling softly, he wasn't surprised; he and Mich hadn't actually fallen asleep until around 4am after all.

Now he was almost fully awake, he could hear her clear voice carrying from the all weather arena, that would mean the weather was good, but not too hot. In the hottest weather she would use the indoor arena – opening up the doors at each end, and turning the panels to catch the breeze so it was a cooler place for the horses to work.

Pulling on a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, he made his way downstairs. The house was quiet, looking out of the kitchen window as he walked across to the fridge; he spotted Kyra immediately, exercising Knight in the field. After checking out what was in the fridge, he decided to just go for coffee – Mich would be in soon enough, to prepare a snack for lunch.

Pouring himself a cup, he smiled when he saw Amber on her pony coming over the hill towards Kyra. Stopping near her older sister, H was struck at how alike they were – though their colouring was different, he realised that they were very much like their mother.

Tall and slender, Kyra was turning into a stunning young woman, and Amber was already the tallest in her class – combined with the red hair she had inherited from him, he realised that she would be turning heads as soon as she reached her teens. Smiling to himself, he wondered if he would be able to cope with the 'boyfriends' that would be turning up on the doorstep.

Relaxing in the sitting room, his thoughts turned to the cases that the team were working on that week – they had leads to work through with most of them, though one or two were probably dead ends.

His thoughts drifted to the case that was troubling him the most. The girls in the club needed his help, but he didn't know what to do.

Finishing the lesson, Mich called her daughters into the arena, she wanted to see how well Knight was jumping. Being able to watch her own horse from the ground was something she was not able to do often. She could obviously feel whether he was good or bad, but she wanted to check his confidence in himself, and the best way to do that was to put a different rider on board.

Kyra was no beginner, and was already pushing for a top ten position in the Dade county junior league, and rumours were spreading. Her name had been mentioned for selection in the junior county team.

"Mummy, can I jump too?" Mich chuckled, Anything Kyra could do, Amber wanted to do better, Mich had bought Rocky the year before – now eighteen years old, the pony still had enough life in him for Amber to have fun, but was quiet enough to keep her out of trouble. Horatio had insisted…

"Of course sweetie, but not too much, you've already been riding an hour." Fifteen minutes later, Mich was happy with what she had seen, and Amber had had her fun too. This year Mich decided that she would let Amber join in with some of the junior games that she held at the club.

Leaving the girls to sort the horses out - she knew she could trust Kyra to watch her sister – Mich went to the house to prepare lunch. Walking into the kitchen, she noticed that the coffee pot had been used and smiled, Horatio was awake…

Walking to the sitting room, she froze at the door… H was sitting on the sofa, head down between his hands, and a look of helplessness on his face…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

Mich's mind was in turmoil, was it the decision to go back on the line for MI5 that had affected H this badly? He hadn't said anything, mind you, he wouldn't, locking away his feelings… The thought startled her, was Horatio hiding something else too? He had been very quiet over the last few days.

Taking a deep breath, she walked into the sitting room, "Horatio… Are you ok?"

Looking up, H saw the concern on Mich's face and sighed, sometimes he wondered who was over-protective of whom. Certainly, when Mich was competing he worried about her, but she was equally worried about him when he was working a dangerous case.

"I'm fine sweetheart, just a lot of things to think about." From the look on her face, he knew she wasn't convinced. Drawing her close, he gave a half smile, "Too much to do and not enough time to do it in…"

Snuggling in closer, Mich felt the warmth of his body through his shirt and closed her eyes. "Not having second thoughts?"

"About what…? The exchange…? No, not at all, actually, that part of our UK trip I am actually looking forward to. The rest has got me a little concerned I admit, but we have to do it."

Mich looked up, surprised at the strength in his voice. H chuckled, "Who was it that pointed out a few years ago that neither of us would be able to just walk away from our duty?" Mich blushed, "Serve and Protect sweetheart, it's what we do… You were right then, and you are right now."

"Then what has you so restless?"

H sighed, "You know the answer to that one…" Mich nodded her head, the unsolved cases, the girls at Mitch Walkers club, the decision about his future at MDPD. Looking up into his eyes, she also saw the ghosts, the people that H had gunned down to protect the people of Miami. Though he knew he had to do it, it was an unsatisfactory end to a case for him.

Every so often, the ghosts would come haunting… Not only those he had sent on their way himself, but also the victims. Mich would be woken in the night by a restless H, hearing him call out occasionally – re-living the moment. There was not a lot she could do to help him at those times, but sometimes there was a visitor to Miami who could.

"Kate told me that the Cardinal is visiting at the moment…"

Horatio looked at Mich, and smiled softly, "You know me so well…" Tenderly he kissed her forehead, "Will you be joining me?"

Mich nodded, "I have some… questions." Mich was not Catholic, like many born in Wales she was christened into the Baptist branch of the Christian faith, but she had met the Cardinal a couple of times, and found him a man to be trusted. The Cardinal in turn, recognised Mich to be someone who needed the contact with someone of the cloth to renew her faith in humanity, someone she could trust to listen and not judge.

He had laughed when Mich expressed surprise when she found out that the Catholic faith was not as strict as she had been led to believe, but told him that it did not mean she was about to convert… The Cardinal had joked that the Lord was very patient….

A sigh from Horatio made Mich look up, "Tonight then?"

&&&

A couple of phone calls had revealed that the Cardinal would not be available that evening, so Mich had arranged for her last scheduled ride of the afternoon be taken by Kate.

Parking near the Holy Redeemer church, Mich and Horatio walked through the churchyard together, arm in arm. She always had a great feeling of peace here, and the atmosphere was obviously helping H too, she could feel some of the tension leaving him.

Going into the church, she knelt in respect of the faith and took a seat in the back pew. Horatio walked slowly to the confessional, thankful that they were here at a quiet time. He would see the Cardinal first, then wait for Mich in the church while she took a walk with his former parish priest.

Mich could usually gauge how bad H was feeling by the length of time he stayed inside. The norm was around the ten minute mark, but this time, he had more to discuss, so she was only a little surprised when Horatio was gone for twenty minutes.

A light touch on the shoulder made her look up; Cardinal Benedetti smiled and led her outside. Looking him up and down, she grinned, "I don't know how you can survive underneath that lot, I'm hot just in this…"

He chuckled, "We all have our cross to bear, how are you Mich? Congratulations by the way…"

Mich nodded her head in acceptance of the Cardinal's best wishes "Any chance you can have a chat with a friend to help me out?"

He laughed, "To help the opposition…? Not a chance." Joining in his laughter, Mich began to relax a little more. It was always this way, Mich was a person who found it difficult to talk about her feelings, and the light banter that started off their 'discussion' helped.

Stopping next to a bench, she sat down and stared into the distance, "This time it's bad isn't it…" The Cardinal sighed, while he was not allowed to divulge what H had spoken about, he also knew Mich would keep digging until he gave her a kind of answer.

"He has a lot more to think about than usual and it is playing on his mind, yes…"

Mich dropped her head, her words barely above a whisper. "Why can't you give him what he wants?"

Lifting her chin with his finger so she looked directly at him, the Cardinal took a deep breath, "Because I can't Mich, he is asking for forgiveness… Which I cannot give."

Mich became angry, "Cannot, or will not…"

The Cardinal looked her in the eye, "Cannot, because it is not me he is seeking forgiveness from…"

"But…"

"Mich… I forgave Horatio a long time ago and each time he comes to confess, he receives absolution of some kind." Mich stared back, puzzled by his words, but then realisation dawned and she closed her eyes…

Cardinal Benedetti was a perceptive man and a very practical one. Horatio and Michelle had been responsible for the deaths of many people, but in both cases had been acting on orders from authority – H represented justice at a local level, Mich protecting national security of not one but two nations…

"What is bothering you Mich?"

Mich looked at him, "Did Horatio tell you I have to go back to work?" The Cardinal nodded. "I know it sounds selfish, but I need H to help me do my job, if he is not 100 committed, I'll be in trouble."

The Cardinal was surprised. Mich was very assured and self-confident, what could she be talking about, "I don't understand…"

Mich turned away for a moment, "You know what I have done, with each person I have removed from life, a part of me has been eaten away. The last job against the Cartels……"

When she turned back to face the Cardinal, he was staggered by what he saw… Mich's eyes were full of tears, the terror on her face made him realise why Mich had resigned from MI5 in the first place, "Mich…"

"If he is not there to help me, I'll lose myself, become something I never wish to be… I need him, to help me survive, to stay human… instead of becoming…"

The Cardinal put his finger on her lips, "Enough Mich… You don't need to tell me any more." At his words, she began to calm down and the self confidence started to return.

"Mich, you have to help him now so he can help you later. You have to make him realise that he has to forgive himself before he can accept forgiveness from anywhere else."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"How does he deal with the deaths of so many, both the victims and the criminals?"

Mich thought for a moment, "He uses the deaths of the victims to make himself stronger for the fight, locks away his anger and uses the energy in a positive way to find a solution. I do the same thing…"

"And the criminals?"

"He does the same, but the frustration gets to him. He would rather see them go to trial, death is an easy way out…"

"What happens to all those emotions? How does he release the negativity?"

Mich shook her head, "He doesn't…" Her eyes went wide as the realisation dawned on her.

The Cardinal caught hold of her hand, "Mich, Horatio is at a time of reckoning… All those negative emotions have to come out, he has to let go of them. If he doesn't, it will cause him to break down – maybe never to recover. If he releases that negativity he will realise that he has to forgive himself for what he has done, and then I can help him."

"How do I get him to release that kind of emotion? He locks it all away so tightly – it's like a strong box and he has control of it…"

"Break the box Mich… Break his control…"

Mich gasped, "Do you know what you are asking me to do?"

Cardinal Benedetti sighed, "I have known Horatio for most of his life. Believe me when I say this, if you do not do this and H breaks down without warning – everyone will get hurt and him most of all, he will never recover. If you do this, he will be hurt – and so will you, but the two of you will be able to heal each other…"

The Cardinal dropped his head and continued, "I wish there was another way Mich, I really do, but you are the only person who can help him. Only you have the power over him to do this…"

Mich was shaken by the Cardinal's admission, the one person she thought might be able to help, was telling her that he couldn't. "But how am I supposed to…"

"You are his partner Mich; you know his mind, heart and soul better than anyone else. Use that knowledge to help you find a way and do it soon…"

Standing up, he walked back into the church, leaving behind a very quiet, thoughtful Mich…

The drive back to the barn was a quiet one…

Horatio was a little more relaxed, talking to the Cardinal always helped, but he knew it would be temporary; the main subject was always the same, as was the answer. That he would know when his penitence was over…

Looking sideways at Mich, he was a little concerned, she usually came back quiet, but happy after meeting the Cardinal, but not this time. Now she was really thoughtful, he guessed that it was to do with what MI5 had asked her to do, and hoped that she would be ok.

Mich's mind was in turmoil. She had carefully masked her feelings, Horatio could read her like a book, and would get worried if he realised what she was feeling right now. The more she thought about it, the more she knew the Cardinal was right, Horatio had locked away how he felt for so long, it was only a matter of time before he was overwhelmed, and broke. She had to be the force that broke through – so she could help him recover…

Sighing to herself, she tried to play events through her mind that would help him. Slowly she began to realise that there was only one way this would work, she had to break Horatio down completely.

She had done it before, the leader of the environmental group that had kidnapped the Japanese diplomat all those years ago was so manipulative, he hadn't even realised what was happening until it was too late…

Various 'security guards' around the world had also succumbed, but they were weak minded people – with large ego's, easy to push around when you knew which buttons to press, but to break a man like Horatio Caine……

Mich closed her eyes, she had to be careful. Too strong a push would send H over the edge completely, never to return, not strong enough and she would do more damage than good – possibly even destroying their relationship. That she would not think about… She had to plan carefully, and she would have to do it soon, H was leaving for the UK in four weeks. He had to be ready…

Glancing out of the window, an idea came to her, it would mean putting herself in a difficult position – making H angry, but anger was an emotion she could use to her advantage.

As they pulled up in front of the barn, Mich made the decision and started to plan… Heading for the house, she was surprised when H didn't follow her.

"I just need to think for a while sweetheart… I'll be down soon."

"You'd better be, or I'll send the girls up for you…" Watching him walk slowly up the hill, Mich swallowed deeply. She knew she had to put her idea into progress as soon as possible – or she would lose Horatio for ever.

Going inside, she noticed that Kyra had taken the lasagne out of the oven, and tidied up while she and H were at the church. Pausing to say hi to her daughters, who were playing a Wii game in the living room, she went upstairs.

Closing her bedroom door, she went to the foot of her bed and opened the divan drawer. She quickly checked her equipment and found everything to be in place – including her Samurai blades, which Ryan had returned a few days earlier. Feeling a familiar surge of adrenaline; she gave a painful smile, tonight, the Lone Wolf would once again be walking on the earth…

&&&

At the top of the hill, H sat down on the log and stared, barely seeing the ocean in the distance, his talk with Cardinal Ben had been a long one, and he knew Mich was concerned, though she said nothing – it was one of the things he appreciated about her. She would acknowledge that he needed space to think – letting him know that she was there for him if he needed to talk.

Usually a talk with the Cardinal helped him, but today, all it had done was settle his thoughts a little, H had hidden his true feelings from Mich, knowing she would ask otherwise. It was true that he was looking forward to exchanging information with the UK forensic department, but the rest of his thoughts troubled him…

How was he going to help Mich – support her in her work? What was he going to do about his own future? How could he ensure the protection of Miami? As always when he began to express his doubts, a familiar face came to haunt him, to challenge his self worth… "Hello Clavo…"

The arrogance of the face in his mind set his teeth on edge. Why did it always have to be Clavo who taunted him in his most desperate moments? But H knew the answer to that one. He had broken Clavo completely – First eliminating the man's contact with the only father he had known – then using his natural father to cut off any link Clavo had in the world…

"So… What you going to do Red?" The taunting voice made H pull a face, "The great Horatio Caine, unable to take a decision… Who would have thought it…? Can't decide what to do about his future, can't decide what to do about those girls in the club."

H's anger began to build. Common sense told him that what he was seeing was just his own mind playing tricks, but why did his conscious have to be Clavo?

"You're getting old Caine… Past it, you can't even ask your girl to marry you… What's wrong, afraid that she'll say no?" The image began to laugh…

"Don't listen to him Horatio." The female voice was soft, caring, "Mich loves you, you know that…"

The sob caught in H's throat, "Marisol…" He couldn't picture her anymore, just feel her touch, see her deep brown eyes, hear her voice… The grief was almost too much to bear he had never been able to forget the day he had lost her…

"So, is that why you won't ask Mich to marry you? Come on big brother, Marisol is gone… You need to move on." H closed his eyes, the pain was like a knife in his heart – he had lost his wife and brother to the same man and though he got his revenge with Eric's help – it was an empty victory.

A calm analytical voice cut through the grief that he could not release, "He's right H… and deep down you know it, but that's not what's bugging you. The problem is not about you and Mich, or your future at MDPD, it's not even about those girls in the club… "

"Speed…" H's voice came out as a whisper, "Help me…"

&&&

Dinner was fairly quiet, Kyra and Amber doing all the talking, Kyra teasing her little sister gently, Amber trying to stand her ground, "I jumped this high Daddy… You should have seen me, Rocky was great."

"Oh come on squirt, Rocky does all the work, you just sit there."

"Oh yeah… I still have to get him to the fence, not like you, Knight knows his way around the course by himself, you're just a passenger." Horatio raised an eyebrow at his daughter's words; she certainly knew how to fight back, "At least I have my own pony, you have to ride Mummy's horses…"

Mich pulled a face, Amber had just stepped into the middle of a minefield… Kyra seemed happy to help Mich training her horses, but from the look on her eldest's face, she knew Amber's words had hit a nerve…

Fortunately, Kyra had a lot of self control and just smiled back at her kid sister, "I'm riding Mum's horses 'cause she needs my help to train for the Olympics… I'll have my own horse soon, you'll see…"

Finishing dinner, Mich asked Kyra for her help and sent Amber to get ready for bed. "Kyra, I'm sorry, Amber is right you know, you should have your own horse."

Kyra gave her mum a hug, "It's not necessary Mum, next semester I have to study hard for my exams, I wouldn't have time to train my own horse. I'm just glad that you think I'm good enough to help…"

Mich smiled, "Good enough to groom for me if you want."

Kyra's eyes opened wide, "Do you mean it? I thought you would take Sarah or Nicky…"

Mich chuckled, "Nicky won't go anywhere without Mike, and Mike cannot get leave, and with all of us gone, Kate needs Sarah to help her work the barn. Are you up for it…?"

"And how…!"

A few minutes later, they walked into the living room and could hear Horatio talking to Amber, gently telling her off for her unkind words. "I'm sorry Daddy, I won't do it again…"

Smiling, Kyra grabbed her sister and headed upstairs, giving H and Mich some 'quiet time'. Settling onto the sofa, Mich yawned, "I think I'll have an early night…"

Horatio chuckled, "Feeling the effects of last night are you?"

Mich smiled back, "Maybe, but I'm not complaining, I'll catch the news and go up, by the time I've read Amber a story, and checked in on Kyra, I'll be ready to sleep myself."

Mich did just that, and grinned when she saw that H had beaten her to the bedroom. The kiss she received as she settled down in bed indicated that she probably wouldn't get any sleep just yet…

&&&

At 2.30 am, Mich woke to the vibration of her cell which she had placed under her pillow. Getting up carefully so as not to wake H, she dressed quickly in her 'work' clothes, quietly opening the divan drawer, she took out the backpack she had prepared earlier with the equipment she needed for the little job she had planned.

Finally, she placed her 'weapons' for the evening in their pockets around her suit… Daggers and garrotte went into their places immediately; reverently taking her blades out of their case, she knelt and offered up a short prayer to the ancestors of the family who had gifted her the swords, asking them for a quiet and successful trip.

Carrying the blades in her hands, she silently left the house; they would go into their regular position across her back later, when she arrived at her destination…


	12. Chapter 12

Horatio stirred… As his eyes opened, he caught sight of the time, 4.30am. Turning over, he woke fully as he realised Mich was not there. The bed was cold, meaning she had not been there for a while.

Sitting up, he turned on his bedside light and looked around. There were no hints that he could see to tell him what she was doing. Maybe she was out checking the horses, one had been sick a few days before, and Mich had been concerned about it. Maybe she was just checking to see that it was ok.

He was just about to go back to sleep, when he changed his mind, and decided he wanted a drink. Walking to the door, he caught sight of something strange. Turning around, he spotted that the end of the bed looked different.

Taking a deep breath, he knelt and pulled at the drawer… He had never known about it – Mich had asked for it to be carefully hidden, but in her haste had forgotten to close it properly, and H finally knew where she kept her things.

As the drawer opened, he spotted the case holding her rifle. Opening it, he sighed with relief, ok, so he would not have to deal with a sniper victim in the morning… But it was obvious that Mich had taken something with her.

The throwing stars were there, but he couldn't see her garrotte – and two of the five dagger blades were missing. Closing his eyes he opened the box that usually contained her Samurai blades.

"Oh dear God Mich… Where are you?"

&&&&&&&&&

Mich at that moment was on the roof of Mitch Walker's club, getting ready to lower herself down onto the fire escape. The light had changed, becoming paler – the hint of dawn and she needed to move fast if she wasn't going to be caught.

Lightly running down the fire escape steps and back to the SUV she smiled, another successful mission, now she just had to check… Opening her backpack, she took out a small USB device and plugged it into the GPS system she had.

The next moment, the screen changed. Showing a corridor, the resolution was not that great, but she knew that either Dan or Tyler would be able to clean it up for the team to use.

Flicking the switch on the device, she noted to her satisfaction that all six of the spiders were working properly. Taking a deep breath, she slowly began to drive back to the barn, thinking about what she had seen.

Anger came to the surface, but she squashed it. That would not help Horatio – or Paul Clarkson. From what she had seen, this was no more a local case – and just the tip of the iceberg.

She gave a half smile, Horatio would be angry with her for not telling him what she was going to do, but happy with the information she would collect. At least it was a Monday – a morning off from the barn, which she would use to brief him and Paul on what she had seen.

&&&

Mich had used the fire escape to reach the top floor and then used her short throwing rope to access the roof. Smiling, she had noticed that the fire escapes and fire doors on the top two floors were brand new.

No doubt Walker would explain them away as part of the upgrade required to extend the club to the higher floors. Walking the perimeter of the roof, she spotted a couple of skylights, one of which glowed softly from an internal light…

Intrigued, she walked carefully to it, so much for Walker saying that the top floor was unoccupied. The glass was frosted, so she could not see a lot, but just the presence of a light on a supposedly unused floor already set her senses alight…

Checking the skylight, she found the catch, and using her little set of tools, was able to open it slightly, opening her backpack, she took out her scope… Similar to the one used by SWAT in hostage situations, the small camera was high resolution, giving a remarkably clear picture. What she saw made her gasp.

The room she could see was almost a replica of the piano bar downstairs – with one very big difference. Men were lying on couches, Roman style, while the women were walking around topless, most had some kind of sarong around their hips – but of the sheerest kind of material – and she could see that they wore nothing underneath.

As she turned the scope this way and that, she noted that the room was split into sections by sheer curtains dropping from ceiling to ceiling… As she watched, one of the relaxing men caught hold of the girl serving him, and, catching her wrist pulled her to one of the sectioned off areas.

As they passed between the sheers, Mich caught sight of what was behind them, feeling angry, she was under no illusion about what was about to happen. The girl was both looking upset and afraid, obviously unable to prevent what was about to occur.

Withdrawing the scope, Mich felt sick. The girls were all stunningly beautiful, Blonde, Brunette and Black haired, she suddenly realised what she was looking at, a modern day Harem, but one where the girls were exploited – not revered.

For many poor girls in the Middle East, induction into the Harem had been considered an honour – to live a life of security and luxury, pampering to the needs of just one man and when there could be a hundred such girls. You might only be required on one occasion a year…

Here the girls were exploited night after night, living a life of oppression and fear, from their skin colour, Mich could see that they never went out in the sun. Feeling the anger building inside, she knew that she had to help Horatio and the team collect more information.

Opening her backpack, she took out one of her 'spiders'. The bugs in use by the security forces of MI5 were merely listening devices – and there were ways of detecting them, the spiders were different. Made of translucent plastic, they could be attached to any flat surface.

Small and compact, each spider contained a miniature TV camera and a transceiver. Each one was no more than an inch in diameter and once switched on would begin sending pictures to the receiver – which just needed to be plugged into any kind of computer which had a video decoder.

The pictures were not great quality, but the software available to the lab was the best in the world. Mich managed to get her hand through the skylight and was able to position the spider on the ceiling – pressing it once, she saw the soft green light go on, and then switch off, indicating that it was on standby. It would not begin transmitting until the receiver was switched on.

Leaving the first skylight, Mich walked to the second…

&&

The second skylight was dark, using her scope and adjusting it for the minimal light, she saw that the skylight was above a corridor. Opening the skylight window, she quietly lowered herself inside…

Mich waited, senses strained to pick up any warning of activity. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noted that along the corridor were several rooms, trying a few, she noticed that they were locked, before finding one that was not.

Cautiously, she opened it and went inside. The room looked like it belonged in a hotel… A good sized single bed, with wardrobe, dresser and desk, on the desk was a TV and satellite decoder. A small en-suite toilet and shower was attached to the room, soft furnishings and pictures on the wall completed the look

The rooms were comfortable, and from a quick check in the wardrobe – the girls were looked after and well clothed, but a prison was a prison – no matter how comfortable it was…

Hearing voices, Mich went quickly to the door. Opening it slightly, she saw one of the girls being brought along the corridor – now lit dimly by a few bulbs; the girl was taken to a room nearby and pushed in before her guards locked the door.

Once the guards had retraced their steps, Mich scouted out the rest of the top floor. The only set of stairs led down into darkness, carefully she followed them, and realised that this was another floor of rooms for the girls. The only way out for them was through the fire doors – or up to the top floor.

Scouting around, she found that the patrons of the Harem must have access from the second floor, because there was certainly no access on this side of the building between the second and third floors.

Mich wished she could check out the rest of the third floor – but the only way to do that was through the Harem itself – and from what she could see, the Harem worked 24-7, which would mean her possibly being spotted – something she wished to avoid at all costs.

Returning to the skylight, she positioned five more spiders at key locations – so that the team in the lab would have key surveillance of the complete dormitory area. It would help SWAT to get into the building.

However to stop the organisers of this illegal brothel from escaping, she knew H and the team would also have come in from elsewhere, from what she had seen – that would have to be done via the second floor, through the club. Unless they could get in through the fire escapes…

&&&

Driving home in the half light, she checked the time, 4.45, perfect. The girls would still be asleep, and she would get back to Horatio in time to talk to him before he went to work at 6.30.

Pulling up outside the barn, she smiled to see all was quiet. Going in through the kitchen door, she was just crossing the living room to the stairs when a voice came out of the darkness.

"Mich, what have you been doing?"

Mich sighed, "How long have you been sitting here?"

Standing up, Horatio looked at her, a little annoyed, "A little under half an hour…" Mich nodded and held her hand out to him, H wasn't sure what it was, but her gesture made him calm down as he walked across the room. Maybe it was because he realised that she wasn't going to hide anything.

Sitting on the bed, he watched her put her things away carefully, noting that everything seemed to be clean. Mich chuckled, "Don't worry Honey, you won't find anyone killed by my hands in the morning. Tonight was purely for reconnaissance, and I've information that you need…"

H's expression changed from annoyance to interest, "What did you find out?"

Mich's face became hard, "That this goes way out of your jurisdiction…" Horatio became serious, but as Mich climbed into bed he realised that she was not going to say anymore from the look on her face.

"I guess we still have an hour before the alarm goes off." As he settled down next to her, Mich gave him a soft smile and snuggled in close, she was soon fast asleep, Horatio closing his eyes only a moment after.

After the 'power nap' they both needed a shower to get moving. Mich was in a playful mood and had H chuckling as they got ready. After having a quick breakfast, they walked out together, Horatio to his car, Mich to the barn.

"I'll call Paul as soon as I get in, anything else you need?"

Mich nodded, "Tell either Dan or Tyler to get their best video enhancement software ready, and a 3D floor plan of the club, I'll come by as soon as I've dropped the girls at school."

H pulled her close for a hug, "Can you just do me a favour? Next time at least leave me a message where you are."

"Why… So you come after me? I don't think so, besides, I did leave a message." Giving H a soft kiss, she grinned and started to walk away, Horatio chuckled, so she hadn't left the drawer open by accident after all.

&&&&

Arriving at the lab, he spotted Calleigh turning in and smiled to himself, she was getting into the routine of arriving a little earlier each day.

"Morning Horatio…" H smiled at the petite blonde. There were times when Calleigh seemed tiny to him, a little doll out of place in the PD, but when she was on the case or interviewing a suspect, she seemed ten-foot tall.

"We've got some extra info on the RTA case."

"Oh… where did that come from? Did Tim find something out?"

Horatio shook his head, "Not quite… Somewhere a little closer to home."

Calleigh was confused for a moment, giving H a quizzical look she thought for a moment, then, startled by the idea that popped into her head, she opened her eyes wide, "she didn't…"

H nodded and chuckled, "Oh yes she did…" Calleigh sighed, realising that H was ok with what Mich had done, she began to relax.

"But we won't be able to use it…"

"We won't need to… From what Mich told me, it's going to become Paul's case anyway, we just need to close down on our side as much as possible."

"Ok… I'll do what I can, just making sure that the T's are crossed and the I's dotted."

&&&&

Mich walked in to MDPD a little after 9.30am, smiling at Paula on the desk. "Morning Mich, the Lt said you were coming in." She handed over a temporary pass and a pen, Mich signed the book and made her way to H's office.

Technically she should be accompanied, but everyone in the dept knew her, so as long as she didn't walk into any of the labs, there could be no claim that evidence had been compromised.

Horatio was looking out of the window thoughtfully, Mich sighed, he was doing this more and more lately, meaning that it was more important for her to do what she needed to do.

"Hi Honey…"

H looked up and smiled, before walking over to her. "Tyler is all set up and ready to go… You've got him intrigued I can tell you."

Mich chuckled, "Then let's not keep him waiting, is Paul joining us?"

"He's on his way, said he would meet us."

Joining Tyler in the AV lab, Mich detailed the layout of the top floor, and the part of the third floor she had seen, "I'm guessing that the other part of the third floor is for the male clients to change, and access down to the second floor and up to the top."

"How do you figure that?" Paul had just walked in and caught Mich's last comment, Mich said nothing, but passed over the USB device to Tyler.

Plugging it in, Tyler gasped as the first images started coming through from the Harem. Stepping back, Mich allowed H and Paul to scrutinise the images more closely, "There are a couple of familiar faces in there Horatio; we need to be very careful."

H nodded in agreement, "The thing is, can you get a warrant without this surveillance?"

Paul nodded, "With what you have collected on Therese Kalinina, I can go to the judge with what we have collected already. She is very sympathetic to our case, as long as we bring her something she can work with. Mich's little bugs have given us confirmation of what we suspect."

"They're called spiders Paul, not bugs…" Mich chuckled, Paul grinned back as Calleigh walked through the door, "I've got some even better news, Therese has regained consciousness. If we can persuade her to tell us that she was being held against her will, we'll get a warrant from any judge in the county."

Horatio nodded, "Good idea, but lets see if we can get it without Therese's help, I don't want to stress her if we can avoid it. The big problem is getting into the building with as little warning as possible."

Paul agreed, "SWAT can go in through the skylight on the fourth floor – and start getting the girls out quietly – those fire doors might be alarmed. The problem is getting those involved – we really need two teams going in at the second floor."

Horatio smiled, "Tim can open the fire door for us on the Men's side – the night we went I saw two of the bouncers smoking on the fire escape – so it's probably not alarmed. The problem is the girls' side."

Mich chuckled, "Just leave that to me Horatio, I'll get you and the team in…" Paul grinned, but H was less happy, looking Mich in the eye, a silent contact passed between them, but neither said anything. Now was not the time or the place…


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Mich excused herself and went to the bathroom, before going to H's office. Within a few minutes, he appeared around the corner, a slightly annoyed look on his face. Walking into his office, he closed the door, and sat on the desk looking at Mich closely.

"Horatio…"

"I don't like it Mich, if something goes wrong…" Mich sighed; she'd expected him to react like this.

"I can look after myself Horatio, you know that."

"I'm not talking about whether you can look after yourself Mich; it's keeping your cover for the 5 mission." She chuckled, making H raise an eyebrow.

"Honey, do you really think I'd be going in there as myself? They would recognise me straight away." Horatio did not look convinced.

"Look, when are you going to move in?" H told her that they weren't sure.

"It depends when the warrant comes through, most likely on the weekend. With the extra number of people visiting the club, the bouncers and guards will be a little distracted."

Mich nodded, it was a good idea.

"Look… Have a think about it, if you come up with something else, run with it – but I'm available if you need me."

Horatio nodded, but was also wary, he had expected Mich to try and persuade him to let her join the operation, not give in like this. His instinct told her that she was up to something, but he said nothing.

At that moment, Frank walked in, "Sorry to disturb you guys, but we just got a call."

"That's ok Frank, I was just leaving." Giving H a kiss on the cheek she left, leaving behind an amused Frank, and a very suspicious H.

"Something up Horatio?"

H shook his head, "Ever get the idea that the woman in your life is up to something and you're not sure whether it's a good idea to find out what?"

Frank began to chuckle, "Don't go there H, I stopped trying to figure out the girls' years ago and Mich is very good at hiding what she's up to."

"That's what worries me." H sighed and led the way out of the lab, it was time to go to work.

&&&&

Mich drove back to the barn with a smile on her face, so, H would need persuading to let her join in the operation. As she arrived, she began to chuckle, she knew exactly which of her alternate egos would convince him, but who to try it out on…?

Ryan would freak out, Frank would back off, H might see through her… Smiling to herself, she settled on Eric, he knew her well, and if she could confuse him… Walking up to her bedroom, she opened up a different drawer from under the bed.

Eric was busy in his lab, when he spotted the dark-haired woman outside in reception. As she turned around, his mouth broadened into a big smile. Though he and Kate had been married for four years now, he still couldn't help looking at other women.

Kate actually teased him about it… A lot…The first time, he'd got quite upset with her, until she told him that she didn't mind him looking, "But don't you go touching Eric Delko or you'll feel the downside of my temper." Eric had chuckled at her warning, before proving to her that there was only one woman he was completely interested in…

Walking out, he noticed that Paula was missing from her desk, "Can I help you?"

The woman turned and smiled shyly, long dark hair to her waist, and green eyes, Eric swallowed, if he wasn't married to Kate, he might have chanced his luck here, "Maybe you can. Your receptionist is escorting someone to another department, Officer?"

"Delko… Eric Delko, I'm a CSI here. What can I help you with, Miss?" Her voice was like cut glass, aristocratic, very English… Her clothing was tailored, but no brand name visible, it didn't need to be, everything about her screamed money.

"Phillips… Chelsea Phillips. I've just moved to Miami, and I need some advice about home security, an old friend suggested that I should come here."

Just at that moment the lift opened, and H stepped out, seeing Eric talking to a stranger he paused to ask what was going on. There was something familiar about this woman that drew him, though he couldn't quite figure out what.

Eric filled him in quickly and smiled, "I was just about to tell Miss Phillips that she needs to go to MDPD, I think someone misdirected her."

H smiled, "We'll find someone to escort you to the correct place Miss Phillips, don't worry."

Smiling, she nodded her head, "Thank you Lieutenant, that is very good of you, I appreciate it."

Calleigh walked by and did a double take, what was going on here? Both H and Eric were grinning broadly, talking to a stunning woman. Taking a closer look Calleigh began to smile…

"Hello guys… New team member?" Eric filled her in, Calleigh began to chuckle. "Chelsea Phillips, any relation to Zara? Daughter of Princess Anne?"

The woman smiled, "No, just a similar name…"

Calleigh excused herself to go back to work, she took a few steps and paused, glancing back she grinned and saw the woman wink. "Nice dress Mich… can you get me one? In white, preferably."

Eric was stunned, "MICH…! What the…"

Catching sight of the look on Horatio's face, Mich chuckled, "Go back to work Eric, I've taken up enough of your time."

Following H to his office, Mich waited for the explosion…

&&&

Looking at Mich across his desk Horatio sighed, "What am I going to do with you?"

Mich started to chuckle, she could see that he was a little annoyed by what she had done, but also amused by the way she had neatly deceived both Eric and himself, "I could suggest something, but you're on duty."

H began to laugh, "You will be the death of me…" Mich grinned, but said nothing; she had proved her point, "Just tell me why it is so important for you to be a part of this, you know I'm not happy with the idea…"

Mich became serious, "Two reasons Horatio, first of all, to test myself, I need to be ready for London, secondly…." She paused; Horatio saw the look pass across her face and was up out of his chair instantly to give her comfort.

"I saw how they treated those girls Horatio; the men just grab any girl and drag her off. It's not even prostitution, its rape and those girls have to go through it every day." Mich's voice was barely above a whisper.

H pulled her close for a moment, "We'll get them Mich… We'll get the girls out and help them. Walker and his buddies will go away for good, but you have to promise me something. If I let you in on this, all you will do is help to get us in, then you go home…"

Mich sighed and nodded her head, H knew how to pin her down, if she promised – she would have to do what he said and go home. Have no further part in the operation, no matter how much she wanted to, "Horatio…"

"Promise me Mich or I'll keep you out of it."

Looking up, she saw the look in his eyes, knew that she would not be able to persuade him to change his mind. She sighed, "Ok… I promise…"

H began to relax, now he had got Mich to promise, he knew that she would do what he asked, giving her a soft smile, he checked the time, "So Miss Phillips… Have you had lunch yet?"

Mich chuckled, "Actually, no, but don't you think I should get rid of this? Don't want to start rumours that you're having an affair…"

&&&&

Later, on her way back to the barn, she smiled, Horatio had got her to promise to come home – but she had had no intention of staying anyway. His little victory would mean that he would concentrate even more on the job, taking her anger and using it against Walker and his associates.

Mich was not a manipulative person, and always dealt fairly with the people she came into contact with, she hated herself for manipulating H in this way, but, if she was to break open the door to his emotions, she had to prepare the way.

He would finish the night, tired and angry at what he found, coming home for rest… But she would then play her card… At a time when he would be at his weakest, mentally and physically, she would break out his emotions, and then try to help him heal.

&&&

Back at the lab, Eric had apologised to Horatio for being completely taken in by Mich, H waved him off, telling him not to worry. She had been proving a point – and he had been taken in too.

Placing a call to Paul Clarkson, he found out that the warrant had been granted, Calleigh had gone to speak to Therese, who had initially been afraid to talk, but after Calleigh had explained that the PD had found out about the fourth floor, broke down and began crying when she found out she was safe.

The warrant entitled the team to go in and 'rescue' the 'hostages', as well as seizing all relevant items to the case. This would allow the CSI's to close down the club and search it from top to bottom.

Therese had been moved to a private room with a patrol officer outside the door for protection, and the media had released a story that the RTA victim had died… Meeting with Paul and the SWAT team the following day, it was agreed to go into the club that Friday evening.

SWAT would get to work first, using Mich's skylight to get into the dormitory area – and bring the girls out the same way – No-one knew if the fire escape doors were alarmed, and the team did not want to take any chances.

The girls would be escorted down the fire escapes, then taken away by mini bus to a secure area, where they could relax and sleep, before the counsellors would move in and take over the next day.

Mich and Tim would already be in the club, waiting for a signal to open the second floor doors. For Tim this would be easy, and it was decided that Mich would be the one to send the signal when she was ready.

As the second floor teams moved in, led by Horatio and Paul, Calleigh would enter the main club, supported by Frank and the PD. It would be she who would have the satisfaction of handing the warrant over to Mitch Walker, closing down his club.

Mich was oblivious to the planning, H had asked if she wanted to be involved, but she declined. "I know what I have to do Horatio, just make sure no-one else moves before I get that door open for you… It might take me a while."

Mich herself had horses to concentrate on, in four weeks time Horatio would be leaving for the UK. Amber and Kyra travelling the week after, both would be given work by their teachers at school and have private tutoring for the four weeks of term they were missing. Mich and H had agreed that it was pointless sending them to a UK school for such a short time.

Mich would leave the same day as the girls, but on a different flight, travelling with the horses to the UK on a transport plane, she had refused to let Dream fly in the care of a flight groom, knowing how touchy the horse could be.

Then, six weeks of training with the British team, before the games would begin at the beginning of August. Eight weeks in total of double work – for the games and for MI5…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

That Friday evening, Horatio and Mich left the barn as scheduled, Nicky and Mike had come over to stay with the girls until Mich got back – all of them believing that H was taking Mich out for the evening.

While H drove, Mich put in the coloured contact lenses and put on the wig, she was already dressed in a short red dress that H remembered seeing vaguely before…

Dropping her off near the club, he continued a couple of blocks further, where he met up with the rest of his team. Paul Clarkson was also there fine-tuning the details with the SWAT team leader.

"Everything ok? Mich has just gone into the club."

Paul nodded, "SWAT have already got 20 girls out, apparently they went in at a good time – the girls had just changed shift. Four hours until the next change…"

"How many girls are in there?"

Paul's face became hard, "From what we can work out, nearly a hundred. Not all of them work the club, we've already got teams going of to two homeopathic centres, one of the girls that SWAT brought out was studying to be an interpreter. Her English is wonderful…"

H pulled a face; he was glad that they'd got some of the girls out already. Feeling the anger build inside him, he squashed it, "Let's get moving…"

&&&

Mich was already in the 'Ladies Bar', at first she relaxed in an armchair, watching the waiters and dancers doing their work. Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she knew the teams were in position, and moved a little closer to the stage…

Smiling, she signalled to a dark-haired six-footer, attractive, and by the looks of him, a track athlete. Mich liked a man to have strength, but did not need him to be bulky, Eric's physique was about as bulked up as she liked – she thought anything more a waste…

Eyeing him up and down seductively, she inquired if the club offered 'personal services' for women as well as men, chuckling, the dancer nodded.

"Would you by any chance be one of those?" He gave her a short nod, which Mich acknowledged with a grin and a glint in the eye, "So, tell me…" The dancer chuckled and shook his head.

"Not here, please, follow me…"

Following him to the door at the top of the stairs that Calleigh had spotted, she was led through to the bottom of another flight of stairs, and spotted the fire escape doors immediately. Speed dialling 1 on her cell; she warned the teams that she was ready…

As the dancer led her towards the stairs, she paused, making him stop, as he returned to her, Mich caught him by the neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss, to which he instantly responded…

Chuckling at his surprise, she whispered, "I like fresh air…" Biting her lip seductively, she drew him towards the door, and when he leant into her, pushed the emergency bar, causing the door to crash open…

Eric raised his eyebrows as the two figures emerged from inside – from the looks of it, Mich was making all the running. No wonder H had said life with her was interesting…

Giving his boss an amused look, he saw H rolling his eyes, "Don't you dare say anything Eric, not a word…" Eric began to chuckle…

"He's all yours honey…"

H grinned "Take him away; we need him to answer a few questions." Looking at Mich, he saw the glint in her eye, sighed and spoke softly, "I'm going to be really late, don't wait up…"

Mich chuckled, "I'll think about it…" Moving out of the way, she watched the team going quietly inside, then made her way to the SUV and home. Her part in the operation was over…


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Horatio moved quietly up the stairs, Glock in hand, ready for the slightest movement, Eric a half metre behind him. Ryan was with Paul, and the girls were working the main club with Frank. Just behind Eric was the first of the patrol officers in their group…

Reaching the top of the stairs, he heard a commotion from down below, at the same time, his cell vibrated in his pocket and stopped. Calleigh was making her move on the ground floor, he and Eric moved carefully to the door on the next floor…

Opening it slowly, they saw that all was quiet. Quickly moving through the door, H paused to allow his back up time to catch up, his team had been given the responsibility to clean up this floor, while Paul's team worked the first and SWAT cleared the top floor.

Sending officers to check two doors that were near him, H continued down the corridor, senses on full alert. Suddenly a door in front of him flew open, and three men ran out – dressed just in jeans, they offered no resistance and were quickly taken away…

Three patrol officers quickly went into the room and pronounced it clear, reporting back that it looked like a changing room, judging by the clothes and costumes that were hanging there. Horatio nodded, and continued…

Hearing a voice shouting, he paused at the end of the corridor before taking a quick glance around the corner.

"What the hell is going on?" Mitch Walker was furious; MDPD had just walked in through his main door, warrant in hand to search the premises, "I don't care what the warrant says, as far as they are concerned the club is only on two floors. That's all they can search…"

"Actually Mr Walker, you're wrong. The warrant is to search the entire building and SWAT have found an interesting little private club on your top floor…"

Spinning around at the sound of H's voice, Walker began to swear, "Lieutenant Caine… I should never have let your female CSI's speak to the girls."

Horatio grinned, "Talking of the girls, I'll need you to give me their passports." Walker fell silent, causing H concern. "Get him out of here…"

He and Eric once again moved forward – seeing a faint glow of light coming from around the next corner. "Be careful Eric, we don't know what we are going to meet here…"

As they reached the corner, H hesitated before checking the way ahead. Unexpectedly, there was no one, he was suspicious; something was not quite right, continuing further, his senses were stretched to breaking point…

Seeing a door beginning to open in front of him, he stopped, flattening himself up against the wall. In the next moment, three armed guards came at him at once; firing a single shot he was able to drop one guard, while Eric caught the second.

Unfortunately, Horatio was not quick enough to get the third before the guard was upon him. Just managing to deflect the blade that was going for his chest, H felt a searing burn across the top of his arm, but ignored it as he continued to wrestle with the man, until Eric took his pistol butt and clipped the man behind the ear, laying him out cold…

As he stood up, H could feel the burning in his arm and started to swear, "Eric, you'd better go on, I can't feel anything in my left arm, I'll back you up…" As Eric nodded, H spotted the concern on his face; his last thought before continuing onwards was one of annoyance and guilt.

He had promised Mich that he would help these girls. By getting hurt, he could no longer see to that personally, he had let her down… His anger began to build.

&&&&&&&&&&

H grimaced as Alexx finished tying the dressing around his arm, "You're lucky Horatio, it's just a glancing blow, any deeper and I'd be packing you off to Dade Memorial to be stitched up…"

Horatio swore, this was the last thing he needed, Mich was not the type of person to fuss over him, she knew he didn't like it, but she would be concerned all the same. He sighed.

"Something wrong Horatio?" Alexx could not keep the concern out of her voice…

""Nothing major Alexx, maybe I'm just getting too old for this…"

"You and me both sugar, you should go home and get some rest."

H shook his head, "Not just yet Alexx, still plenty of work to do…" Alexx sighed and nodded her head, when Horatio was in crusade mode, nothing stopped him – and this case had affected him more than most.

Walking away she paused, glancing back, she saw H walking slowly across the road towards the Hummer. Eric was waiting for him, so they could go back to the lab together. Alexx sighed, Horatio was walking with his shoulders hunched, reminding her of the Greek legend of Atlas – the man doomed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders… At the moment, H looked like he could take his place.

Alexx was troubled by what she saw, H always walked straight and tall – no matter how tired he was from the work during the day. She realised that he was not just physically tired, but mentally and emotionally too. Thinking back, she remembered that it had been two years since Horatio had had a 'holiday', and that had only been a long weekend with Mich.

She came to a startling conclusion, Horatio was suffering from exhaustion, pushing himself to his limits and he was about to break. Looking at the time, she hesitated, but only for a moment, taking out her cell, she dialled a number…

A few moments passed, when a sleepy voice answered, "Mich honey… I'm sorry if I woke you."

Hearing Alexx's voice, Mich was instantly on the alert. "Alexx… Has something happened to Horatio?"

"Don't worry sugar, he's ok, nothing that a few week's holiday can't cure." She quickly filled Mich in on her opinion – and about what had happened, "It's not a serious cut, but keep an eye on it will you, you know what he's like…"

Thanking Alexx for the call, Mich checked the time, "Alexx, can you do me a favour? Can you get either Calleigh or Eric to kick him out of the lab by 4am and send him home? I'll sort him out, Oh… and tell them they'll have to make do without him for tomorrow morning at least, I doubt I'll be able to keep him away from the lab all day."

Hearing Alexx's acknowledgement, she cut the line, and set the alarm for 3.30 am…

&&&&&&&

Back at the lab, Horatio and Eric began the tedious task of interviewing the men that had been caught at the club. Calleigh had insisted on interviewing Walker by herself, even though H wanted to be with her.

"I can manage him Horatio, if I feel I'm getting nowhere, I'll come and find you ok?"

H had reluctantly agreed, he wouldn't undermine Calleigh on this case, she and Natalia had carefully built everything up, liaising with Ryan and Eric where necessary. Therese Kalinina had been quite happy to talk, especially when Elena Novakorski had appeared to translate. Elena was one of the girls SWAT had found in the club, both girls had agreed to testify against Walker.

Therese had told them how she had managed to escape from the club one day with Parker's help, unfortunately, Walker had seen them, and managed to get into the SUV. He had grabbed the tyre iron and started beating Parker with it, rendering the man unconscious, before aiming two blows at Therese's head – which was just before she had floored the accelerator – and been involved in the accident. Walker had managed to get away.

Elena was talking to Frank and Natalia, explaining how the girls were promised good office jobs in the UK, which at first was true, they had become accustomed to life with good food, a good wage and good housing, when their 'boss' offered them the chance to work in the USA for the associate company. She explained that she was told it would be 'promotion' for her – with everything that went with it.

It was on their arrival, that the girls found out that they had been misled. Flown over in a small chartered aircraft, the girls had been drugged and fallen asleep, waking up in some kind of warehouse – personal belongings gone, taken to the club, or one of two 'therapy centres' they had been put to work, their clothes returned to them, but not their passports. Elena herself had been in the US for about three months.

Frank took careful notes, the UK connection was interesting, and with H due to go over on an exchange, he was sure that Scotland Yard would be interested in following up the information they had collected in Miami. By 3.00 am, the main suspects were cooling their heels in the holding cell, and Elena had joined the other girls, who would begin their counselling sessions the following morning.

The male dancers had been released – they had all been legitimately employed, most of them were college students as Mich had already found out – and the two full-time dancers could not help the inquiry.

Paul Clarkson walked into the layout room as the team were comparing notes, "No sign of the girls' passports anywhere H, whoever is bankrolling Walker must be holding them…"

H pulled a face, "Then it looks like they'll be heading home."

Paul shook his head, "Some of them have claimed asylum, State will deal with them, the others will be quite happy to go home – already half of them have said they want to go back to their families in Russia and the Ukraine."

Calleigh yawned, checking her watch, she had noticed it was 3.30am, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm beat. Night shift is collecting all the evidence, how about we go home and get some sleep. I know I'll be able to look at the evidence better tomorrow."

The rest of the team nodded in agreement. Horatio hesitated, wanting to check a few things, but Eric and Calleigh were ready for him, "Go home H, Mich will be waiting to find out what happened."

"I told her not to wait up."

Calleigh chuckled, "and you think she'll go to bed, just because you tell her to?"

H sighed, Calleigh was right, picking up his keys he headed for the door with the rest of his team.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Driving home, Horatio admitted to himself that he was tired… Dead tired… Part of him just wanted to curl up in a corner and sleep forever, but he knew that in a couple of hours, the alarm would awaken him, and he would head for the shower to revive himself as best he could before heading back into the lab.

Mich was awake, sitting in the darkness, waiting… Her alarm had gone off as she had planned at 3.30am and shortly after, Eric had phoned, to tell her that the team had managed to get H to go home – but only because he thought they were all going home. He and Calleigh had returned back to the lab immediately – while Natalia and Ryan were under orders to get four hours sleep and then return.

"He's entitled to a day off Mich, after being hurt, think you can get him to use it?"

Mich chuckled half heartedly, "What do you think? Could you keep him away? I thought not, I should be able to keep him here until lunchtime though. I'll just turn his alarm off when I get up to feed the horses."

Now, waiting in the darkness, she began to feel anxious… Firstly, because she knew H was hurt, secondly, because she was about to take a very big risk with their relationship – the trust they had built up over the years was about to be challenged. She knew she had to make H angry, to get him to let go of the emotions bottled up inside – but would he react as some men did and lash out physically? After what had happened at the hands of her late husband, she hoped not, she didn't know if she would be able to take it.

&&&

Pulling up outside the house, Horatio was glad to see that the house was dark; hoping that it meant Mich was asleep. He wouldn't need to tell her what time he had come home.

Going in through the kitchen, he grimaced at the creaking door, hoping that it hadn't woken anyone, it sounded so loud. Pausing only to get a drink, he slowly made his way across the sitting room, glancing at the sofa – it was so dn comfortable, he could sleep there – but dismissed the thought from his mind immediately, Mich would take it the wrong way.

Going into the bedroom, he removed his badge, putting it on the dresser, and quietly placed his gun in the top drawer, out of sight. Mich kept her Glock in her bedside cabinet – out of Amber's eyesight, though Kyra knew that H carried, and her mum kept a gun at home for personal protection.

Undoing the buttons on his jacket, he was just starting to struggle out of it, when a pair of hands appeared from behind him to help… Removing his jacket from him and placing it over the chair.

Horatio sighed, "I thought I told you not to wait up…"

"I thought I told you to be careful…" Mich was standing in front of him, hair loose, sleep shirt unbuttoned. She slowly began to undo his shirt, helping him to take out his injured arm without disturbing the dressing Alex had made.

H was so exhausted, he barely realised that Mich was undressing him, but when she had stripped him to his shorts, and began to caress his chest, he caught hold of her hands. "Mich, please, I need to rest… I have another long day tomorrow…"

Mich took a deep breath, she had heard the irritation in his voice, and knew it was now or never…


	15. Chapter 15

"So tell me what happened," Horatio half smiled – knowing he had to tell her something before she would allow him to sleep. Sliding into bed, he tiredly began to give her a summary of the operation – skipping the incident where the knife had caught him.

As he was speaking, Mich got nearer, snuggling up as close as she could, massaging his chest and shoulders, as he reached the end of his story, she gave him a deep kiss which instantly put H on the alert. As she paused he tried to stop her from continuing, but her hands were travelling in interesting directions, soothing his muscles, but at the same time waking his senses…

"Mich… please…" He was silenced by another kiss, as Mich once again attacked his lips with her own, H groaned; she was probably still high on the adrenaline buzz from helping out. Yet this was not a Mich he knew well – normally she backed off when she knew how tired he was, but tonight was different, it was almost as if she was playing on it. He began to feel a little annoyed.

Distracted by his thoughts, he had not noticed Mich's head dropping to his chest, butterfly kisses accompanying the movement, as she descended lower H caught his breath, he was really not in the mood for this.

"Mich, enough already…" Noticing the aggravation in his voice, she ignored him and continued, H began to feel angry. What was wrong with her today, couldn't she take no for an answer?

Mich took a deep breath, she knew that she was pushing her luck. Working for MI5 had called for her to seduce a few men – and there were several tricks that she had learnt, but none were like Horatio – they had all been self important men, with ego's the size of Everest – but when it came to sex, they wanted all they could get.

H was different, yes he had an ego – but he used it to instil confidence and respect within his team – and fear within the criminals. His mind was far stronger than his ego, and generally no meant no, closing her eyes, and praying that H was too tired to deny her, she continued…

Frustration was starting to build within Horatio, his mind was saying no, but he was tired, and his body was not listening to him, reacting instead to what Mich was doing. A kiss here, a gentle caress of her tongue there, a gentle suck of his skin as she moved ever lower…

Reaching the most intimate of areas, Mich became careful, by now H had had enough, he was exhausted and wanted to sleep. Why couldn't Mich leave him alone? In his anger, he grabbed her shoulder asking her to stop.

Mich's response made him gasp; taking him completely, deeply into her mouth, his whole body shuddered with the experience. This was something Mich had never done before; she had admitted that she needed to be 'in the mood' for this – and generally she played him a little with her tongue and her lips – but nothing like this…

As she released him slightly he tried to pull her away, to stop her again, but he just didn't have the strength. Mich was again drawing him in deeply – so deep he could feel the back of her throat, on any other occasion, he might have enjoyed this, but not tonight…

Digging his fingers fiercely into the tops of her arms, he was finally able to pull her away, "Jesus Mich… what the hell has got into you? I told you, enough already… I want to rest."

It was what Mich had been waiting to hear, putting on an angry face she rounded on Horatio, "Why is always about what the man wants? What you want… Why can't I ask for something, and get what I want for once? You're just as bad as those men in the club."

Throwing back the cover of the bed she stepped out and walked to the window, Horatio tried to keep his temper under control. Getting up, he stood behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, he tried to remain calm, which in his exhaustion was proving almost impossible.

"Mich please, I understand what you need from me, but I'm damn tired, I don't think I could…"

"Why is it always about you Horatio? Even when I start things off, it's always about what you can do for me… You don't understand, maybe sometimes I would like to do something for you."

Mich exaggerated the bitterness in her voice, she loved what Horatio did for her, how he put her first – although she insisted that they share in the pleasure they gave each other.

H couldn't believe what he was hearing, had Mich lied to him all this time about what she enjoyed, in his tiredness he couldn't work it out, "Mich… I have never denied you…"

Mich closed her eyes ready to make the final strike, she hoped it would work. Putting as much venom into her voice as she could, she turned and faced him, speaking quietly, "You are denying me now… No matter, I won't do it again… You obviously prefer being in control…"

Horatio couldn't believe his ears, Mich was accusing him of being selfish and self centred, catching her roughly by the arm, he dragged her to him feeling satisfaction as she cringed from the pain his grip gave her. "Don't ever accuse me of not being attentive to your wishes Mich, I have always given you everything you wanted."

"Then give me what I want now…" Horatio's mind exploded in anger, would she never give up?

"Alright Mich, I'll give you what you want, but don't grumble at me tomorrow. Or start crying when I walk out of the door, you and I are through…"

Mich swallowed, hoping that it wouldn't come to pass, looking defiantly up at him, she saw the anger burning in his eyes, and hoped she hadn't pushed him too far, "So what are you waiting for?"

H snarled with rage and dragged her back to the bed, throwing her on top of the covers. Mich gritted her teeth, knowing that this was going to hurt… The kiss when it came was hard and bruising, at first Mich fought back, biting into H's lips, tasting his blood.

Lifting Mich slightly, H moved her further onto the bed, before pinning down her arms, Mich struggled a little, trying to free herself slightly. Angrily, H held her tighter, "You want me… Now you've got me…" Dropping to his knees, H forced himself deeply into Mich's body seeing the look of surprise – and pain - on her face.

Driving into her body a second time, Horatio relaxed his grip on Mich's arms slightly so he could drop from his hands to his elbows, enabling him to push deeper. Pulling her arms free, Mich locked her hands behind his neck urging him on.

Driving in again, Horatio began to lose touch with reality, hearing Mich gasping for breath, asking him, no, begging him to continue, pleading with him not to stop, Horatio withdrew for a moment; Mich giving him a curious look, "Horatio…?"

Horatio pulled a face, "Turn over…" The growled command was not lost on Mich, as she turned H caught her by the hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed, so he could stand on the floor…

Mich gasped with pain as once again H thrust hard into her body, but as he began to build a rhythm, she began to feel the pain less and less, pleasure taking over. Initially his hands had been at her throat, almost preventing her from breathing, but then had moved to her shoulders.

Fury consumed him. H had never been so angry with anyone in his life, yet Mich had deliberately pushed him to his limit. Driving into her body, H heard the sob of pain and found himself pleased to hear it, thrusting in again, he wanted to punish her for what she had done. With a snarl, he raised his hand to strike….

Suddenly a feeling of complete calm came over him, what the hell was he doing? He was connected to the woman he loved, contemplating an act of aggression against her, wanting to cause her pain; what on earth was wrong with him? Dropping his hand, Horatio felt the anguish running through his body, though the rage was leaving him, leaving behind an empty space, a void that needed to be filled…

Pushing into her body Horatio felt himself becoming disconnected with the world around him, the only thing he could feel was himself and Mich, suddenly she reared up into his arms pulling them tighter around her body; H was consumed by the fire coming from her. Biting gently into her shoulder, he felt the first shudder of pleasure coursing through her, heard her moan in gratification, yet he could tell she was not satisfied with what he had done…

Letting go of Mich, he rolled her over onto her back, and spoke in confusion, "I thought you wanted to be in charge?"

Chuckling, she reached up and pulled him down, bruising his lips with her own, pulling at him with her hands, indicating that he was to continue. Letting him take a breath, she laughed, "But don't you see Horatio, I am in control… Completely… You cannot deny me now, so sweetheart… Will you please continue…?"

Horatio's anger now became hunger. Initially he had wanted to take Mich over completely, punish her for doubting him. Wanted to see the agony in her face – wanted to hurt her physically as much as she had tortured him with her accusations, now he wanted to devour her piece by piece. Realising that he needed her as much as she needed him…

Joining her once more, feeling her lifting her hips to help him gain deeper entry, H felt himself consumed by the emotions surging through his body. As Mich tightened around him he started to feel himself spinning out of control, unable to stop what was about to happen… As his own pleasure began to mount, images flashed in front of him, faces he had thought forgotten, both criminals and victims.

With a tormented cry that was half ecstasy, half despair, he fell on top of Mich, no longer aware of who he was, just wanting to feel alive... Tears streaming down his face, he let go of the negative feelings within him as Mich pulled him to her, kissing him deeply.

"Let it go Horatio… Let it all go… I'll always be here for you." At her words Horatio felt himself set free and began his final assault on her body, hearing and feeling Mich coming to peak with him as always.


	16. Chapter 16

Mich sighed; Horatio had quite literally cried himself to sleep, the exhaustion finally breaking him down. Combined with the rage he had felt at Mich's accusations, the emotional overload had finally overcome him.

Holding him tightly in her arms, Mich had felt Horatio shudder as the emotions had coursed through his body, feeling the tears rolling down her own cheeks in remorse at what she had done… Praying that he would be ok.

H was now sleeping deeply, his breathing initially shallow and irregular, but then resuming a more familiar, healthy rhythm. Glancing at the clock, Mich saw that it was 6.00 am and decided to get up.

Going out to the barn, she quickly fed all the horses, glad that she had, at least, had a few hours sleep.

"Morning Mich…" Mich turned to see Kate walking in through the door, "Hey are you ok? You don't look that great."

Mich smiled, "I'm ok, just really tired. Couldn't sleep."

Kate nodded in sympathy, "Eric just came home, he looks absolutely shattered. Is Horatio ok? Eric said he got clipped by a knife – they had to bully him to come home."

Mich gave a sad smile, "The wound is ok, just a shallow cut, Alexx patched him up." Kate looked at Mich more closely, realising that there was more going on than met the eye.

"Mich, what happened?" Mich could not stop the tears from coming to her eyes… Instantly alarmed, Kate went to her, and caught sight of the bruising around her neck. "Oh hell Mich, did H do this?"

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Mich gave a rueful smile, "It's not what you think Kate, you know H would never hurt me…"

Kate started to become angry, "Mich, don't you try and cover for him if he did this to you." Mich sighed and explained how she had noticed that H was becoming withdrawn, not talking to her. Told her what Alexx had spotted, and how the two of them had realised that H was suffering from exhaustion.

"That's still no excuse for…"

Mich put up her hand, "I've not finished Kate. You know that H and I went to see the Cardinal?" Kate nodded. "He made me realise that H was locking too much away – unable to release the negative emotions that are causing the stress, which in turn is causing the exhaustion…"

Kate nodded uncertainly. "Ok… So, you two had a big fight when he came home… So he could get rid of the stress. Alright, I'll buy that, Eric and I have had a few arguments, it does help to clear the air I guess, but I still don't understand why you have the bruises. Your fight must have got physical…"

Mich blushed, "It did…" Kate looked at her, confused for a moment, then opened her eyes wide as she realised what Mich was talking about.

"You didn't…"

Mich began to giggle helplessly, "We did… It got a little rough." Calming down, she became more serious, "I pushed Kate, I pushed him right over the edge." The tears started to return.

Kate looked at her friend. Mich had given her so much, allowed her to become a partner in her business, helped her realise a dream. Through Mich she had met Eric whom she adored… whom she had married and who was the father of her son.

"Go to him Mich, I'll cover for you today; I'll tell everyone you're sick. Stay with Horatio, you need each other." Mich nodded, giving Kate a hug, she quickly returned to the house.

Kate watched her go, praying that H would be ok, because if he wasn't, she knew Mich would blame herself.

&&&&&&&

Horatio stirred…

As he slowly opened his eyes, he realised that Mich had once again turned off the alarm, but unlike before, she was lying next to him. Studying her features, he spotted the tracks the tears had made down her face.

Next he spotted the bruising on her neck, and the bite mark in her shoulder, licking his lips he felt where the lip had swollen in response to where Mich had bitten his lip in return… So last night wasn't a bad dream after all.

Trying to sit up, he groaned. He felt like he'd been hit by a sledgehammer, yet his mind was clearer than it had been in months. A slight movement next to him indicated that Mich was beginning to wake up.

Slowly her eyes flickered open, Horatio smiled, "Hey… I thought you had rides today." Smiling back, Mich told him that Kate and Nicky were covering for her, H looked at her carefully and noticed she had definitely been crying, swallowing, he knew he had to ask.

"Are you ok?"

Mich looked at him, trying to judge how he was feeling, but either she couldn't read him, or he had deliberately closed her out. Her hesitation worried H and his eyes once again strayed to the bruises around her neck…

His face contorted with emotional anguish, suddenly remembering how he had wanted to strike out at her. He was no better than Jack. "Oh god Mich. I am so sorry, I never meant…"

Mich sighed with relief, H was not angry with her, but how was he feeling? Sliding close to him, she couldn't stop the tears building in her eyes.

"It's not you who should be sorry Horatio, but me, I… I pushed you to it, I…" H silenced her with a finger to her lips.

"Enough Mich, it is no excuse for what I did, I know I hurt you… and don't tell me that I didn't." Pulling her close he held her tight, "I didn't realise how lost I was, I just couldn't let go any more."

Burying his head in her shoulder, the grief started to overcome him, "I have lost so many people that meant something to me, I tried to hold onto them. Keep them in my mind so they wouldn't be forgotten… The victims I couldn't help, I tried to keep them alive, tried to avenge their deaths."

"You have to let them go Horatio. You cannot keep them anymore, it'll destroy you." H nodded, Mich was right. He had to work on helping those that needed him now, there were other ways in which the victims could be remembered…

"I can't do it alone Mich, please… Help me."

Mich began to cry with relief. She hadn't lost Horatio after all, looking into his eyes, she saw the man she had fallen in love with five years before. Sadness and pain on his face, but his eyes once again clear… bright… ready to fight for what he believed in. Ready to fight for his city.

"I'm not going anywhere Horatio, I need you too."

Clinging to each other, the bond between them strengthening once again, they both fell back asleep in each others arms…

&&&&&&

A soft knock on the door woke both of them; Mich lifted her head from H's chest and saw two pairs of anxious eyes looking around the door. Horatio smiled, and beckoned to Kyra and Amber, inviting them in.

"Mum are you ok? Kate said that you weren't feeling well." Smiling, Mich told Kyra that she was feeling a lot better.

"I just needed a good night's sleep sweetie…"

Amber meantime had climbed up onto the bed next to her father, "So daddy, did you get the bad guys?" H nodded.

"I did, but I hope you two were good for Nicky and Mike last night." Amber chuckled and told them that she had managed to get two bedtime stories out of Mike, while Nicky had been playing chess with Kyra.

Mich chuckled, "Who won?"

"I did of course," Kyra's expression said it all, but then she giggled and admitted that it had been a close game. "So Horatio, are you going to give me a match or not?"

H grinned, "Well if the two of you will disappear long enough for me and your mum to have a shower and get dressed, I might fit you in to my schedule."

Kyra grinned with delight, "C'mon squirt, let's get mum and dad breakfast." Amber disappeared instantly, but Mich and H were both startled, Kyra had never called H 'dad' before. However, as Mich was about to say something, her eldest daughter also disappeared…

"What was that all about?" H shrugged his shoulders; Mich smiled at his relaxed attitude, and sat up, reaching for her dressing gown, "So what time do you have to go into the lab?"

H pulled a face, "If they need me they'll call me…" Laughing at the surprise on Mich's face, he teased her, "Unless of course you don't want me to take the day off and spend time with my family."

Throwing a pillow at him, Mich grinned with delight at the thought of H spending time at home, and wondered if they could sneak off with the girls for the day… Then decided against it, a quiet day at home would be much more to her and Horatio's liking, they had not spent a lot of time together recently.

Joining Mich in the bathroom, H showered and shaved, beginning to feel human once more. Catching Mich around the waist, he pulled her close for a kiss, before turning to the door. "Thanks sweetheart…"

"Anytime honey. You know that…"

"Really. Well you know last night you um, started…" Mich caught the wicked glint in his eye and gave him a suspicious look. H chuckled, "Well, could you warn me, I'd like to enjoy it next time…"

"Ooh you…" H had to duck quickly to avoid the hairbrush that came flying across the bathroom…

&&&

After 'breakfast', which was in fact lunch for Kyra and Amber, Mich insisted on them completing their stable chores – which included exercising Knight and Rocky… One thing that pleased Mich was that Kyra always completed her homework on a Friday evening – or Saturday morning, depending on the amount she had, so the rest of the weekend was free.

Walking out of the kitchen, she smiled to see H sprawled across the sofa, but became a little concerned when she saw the look on his face, "Horatio… You ok?"

"Just thinking sweetheart…" Lifting a hand, he gently drew her down to sit with him, pulling her close, an action which restored the smile to her face, "I know how I can remember these people without keeping them in my mind"

Seeing the curious look on her face, he chuckled, "I just have to make a physical scrap book instead of a mental one. Two actually, the victims that we couldn't help… and those that we could."

"Isn't that a bit morbid?" Mich wasn't sure how this could help.

"It will actually help me out a lot, I have pictures from most of the cases – not crime photo's – given to me by the families who received closure due to our work. They give me hope for the future – that we will catch these people…"

"The others – again pictures from families – make me a little angry – and give me the will to fight."

Mich nodded her understanding, "But what I don't get is why you need this – your strength has always come from within…"

H nodded, "But the victims always gave me purpose. The reason why I serve. It is within me, and carrying them around helped me to focus, but over the years, it has become too much of a burden – and until now, I couldn't let go."

He paused. "Now I realise I have to… It's time to pass the flag on to someone else."

"Calleigh…"

H nodded. "She's ready for it, but I have to move out of the way, give her space…"

Mich gasped, "You're going to retire?"

Horatio sighed, "Mich, next year I either have to get out or take the Chief's position. I certainly don't want to play politics with the mayor, and the last thing Calleigh needs is me breathing down her neck. I have to leave the lab…"

"But to retire…" Mich could not hide the tears. She knew how import Horatio's work was to him… Smiling, he drew her close and held her tightly.

"I have no intention of retiring, but I must look for something else – If I start looking now, I have time. Otherwise someone will push me out before I have time to secure Calleigh's position, and I'm damned if I'm going to let that happen."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The following morning, Horatio walked into the lab with a smile on his face and a lift to his step. The first person to see him was Paula, who noticed the difference immediately, "Morning Lieutenant Caine…"

H grinned back, "Morning Paula, how are my people?"

Paula pulled a face, "They've been working shifts so they can process as much information as possible; Agent Clarkson has even sent some of his own people over to help. There's so much to do…"

Thanking her, H made his way to the layout room, where he suspected many of the discussions would be taking place. As he got closer, he could see that the four team members were in a deep discussion with Paul Clarkson.

"With Horatio going over to the UK, we might be able to get more leads from that side. We could be onto an international organisation here. Who knows where it will end, Walker has contacts in South America – and now Europe, what's the betting he's deeper in than we realised?"

Leaning up against the door, Horatio agreed that Eric had a point – but said nothing for the moment – the team hadn't noticed him yet, and through their discussion about the case, he would learn what they had found out in the last 24 hours.

He was impressed. Calleigh had them really well organised, Natalia had been interviewing the girls carefully with Elena's help, building up a profile of how the organisation worked, which Paul Clarkson's people were now working with…

Her friendly relaxed manner, together with Elena's presence had managed to draw out several of the girls, three of whom had remembered the detail on the tail fin of the aircraft – and been able to identify the private airline charter company involved. That company unfortunately was based in Europe, so the Miami Dade PD were stopped at that point, but with H going over to the UK, it was another avenue that could be explored.

Ryan, Eric and three of Paul's forensic people had searched the club from top to bottom, but were planning on going in again. "We've already found a lot of information, but I'm sure we can find something else. The girls' rooms are not going to help us anymore, but I think the clubs have more to reveal than what we have found so far…"

Eric agreed with Ryan's statement, "It's a pity we don't have a fresh pair of eyes and hands, I get the feeling I'm missing something…"

H chuckled, which had the result of alerting the team to his presence. Calleigh grinned to see him looking better. "Well handsome, you back to join us?"

"Back and ready to go Miss Duquesne, now where would you like me?"

Calleigh chuckled, "I'd better not answer that one, or I'll have Mich after me… But could you go and help the boys at the club?" H nodded in acquiescence, eyes twinkling at her cheeky reply.

"I'd be delighted – if the boys think an old man like me would be of any use…"

Eric and Ryan grinned, "Good to have you back H."

Eric threw him the keys of the Hummer, "Your ride is ready to go…"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 15

Horatio walked slowly into the club, taking his time. Under the coloured neon and strobe lights, the club had looked a lot bigger, but now, under normal lighting conditions, it was just a large space, with a few chairs and tables dotted around a large dance floor.

Looking around carefully, he saw where the team had been working – and still were working, behind one of the bars. "What's up?"

Eric grinned, "This is the only bar that seems to have some kind of alarm system – we're trying to work out why. It's silent, but the signal is not sent to the office. That's why we had Tyler come with us – to see if he can work out where it goes…"

H nodded, "I'm going to have a wander around…" Eric nodded, and disappeared back under the bar.

Pausing for a moment, he thought about where he would like to start, and found himself being drawn towards Walker's office. Entering, he noted that Walker liked his surroundings to be comfortable – and expensive.

Behind a mahogany desk was a leather directors chair, behind which was a wall to wall bookcase – sectioned into cabinets which would have held box files and folders related to the business, employees details, wages, - everything safe under lock and key.

On the opposite wall, was a safe, hidden behind a large painting of Miami at night, which was now resting on the floor. The safe itself was a standard business size style – empty of course, its contents being checked in the CSI lab across town.

Looking around, he found nothing amiss and smiled at what he saw to be a thorough job. However, as he stepped out through the door and began walking down the corridor, he paused; something was making him think again.

He retraced his steps and looked around once more, but could not see anything. Shaking his head, he started to walk back down the corridor towards the main club, but stopped yet again…

Looking back at the door he had just left, he realised that he had walked about six or seven metres from the door – yet Walkers office was not that large and there was no other door on that side of the corridor.

Quickly walking to the entrance to the club, he worked out that the cloakroom was half the distance behind the wall of the corridor, leaving a space of some four metres between the cloakroom and Walker's office. However, there was no door to the space anywhere… Not one that could be seen immediately…

Eric and Tyler were also having problems – they had followed the alarm connection to a transmitter. "It's a wireless system Eric. I'll have to take the transmitter apart to find out its range…"

Eric frowned – this was the problem with his job. The transmitter was a single piece of evidence – but by taking it apart it could not be used as such – on the other hand, they did need to find out where the signal was being sent.

"Do it… If the signal is being sent outside the club, we need to know where it's going…" Standing up, he went looking for H to pass on the information.

&&&

Eric found H in Walker's office looking quizzically at the wall. "Something wrong…?" H told him about what he had noticed…

"There is no possible way in from the cloakroom, it's a bare wall, but this cabinet could hide anything. Did you need me for something?" Eric explained about the transmitter, and H agreed that it was more important to find out where the signal went than keeping it as evidence.

"Let's see what… if anything, we can find here." Starting at one end of the bookcase, H began looking carefully inside the cabinets, trying to find anything that might have a locking mechanism. Eric followed suit from the other end.

They found, nothing…

H shook his head, "It doesn't make sense… there must be something here. Why would someone deliberately leave a four by four metre space with no access?"

Eric thought for a moment. "Maybe we're looking in the wrong place. Upstairs, exactly above the office we found a store room for the men's bar, I thought it seemed a bit small."

H gave him a curious look, "Lead on Eric. Let's dig a little deeper." Going upstairs, Eric showed H the small store room, but here the wall was bare.

"What's next door?"

"The bar, it stretches the full length of the wall…"

Going into the main room, Horatio noticed that the bar did indeed run the full length of the wall. Eric took him behind it and showed him the stairs that led to the third floor – and the girls changing rooms.

As they came back down the spiral staircase, H spotted something strange – the bottom of the staircase was not bolted into the floor… Dropping down onto one knee, he started to smile.

"The access is here – behind the security of the bar – where no-one can see it. The question is, how do we open it?"

As he and Eric traded glances, both began to smile, Eric lifted his small radio mike. "Tyler… Did you take that transmitter apart yet?" The returning answer was in the negative. Eric grinned "Do me a favour – can you press that button?"

A moment later, a circular opening appeared in the floor, revealing the next step of the staircase. Eric and H both drew their guns…

"Want me to go first H?" Horatio scowled at him, telling him off for being over-protective. Eric laughed, "I'm not being over-protective… If something happens to you – Mich will kill me, I'm protecting myself."

H chuckled, "and if something happens to you?"

"Kate will tell you off, but nothing more, she doesn't have Mich's training…"

H smiled, sighed, and took a step forward, shining his torch down into the darkness… "Let's hope there are no surprises."

&&&

Horatio cautiously placed his foot on the top step, beginning the descent into the hidden room, Eric right behind him, but giving him enough space to move. As H put his foot on the second step, the room began to light up…

"Hmm light sensors, someone was being careful." Eric nodded a reply and warily began to follow his boss.

The room was small, but far from empty. Along one wall were TV monitors – specifically watching the access to the third floor, but nowhere else. Two PC's were on the second wall, while on the third; next to the stairs, was a picture.

Horatio looked at Eric and smiled, "How big would you say this room is?"

"About 4 metres by 3… why?"

"Because we're still a metre short." Moving the picture revealed another safe, or rather, the presence of one. The picture was hiding a digital keypad, Eric called Tyler quickly, who frowned when he saw the keypad.

"This is one of the latest models and it'll take some time for me to get into. It not only needs a PIN, but as the person wanting to access the safe touches the numbers, he also has his prints read."

"Can you get into it?" H pulled a face – the system was state of the art, so whatever was in here was very important.

"I'm not sure – of course I can get the PIN – but the fingerprint mechanism will be tricky to bypass."

H nodded, "Start working and get someone to help you out – I have a feeling that we're on the edge of finding out something important. We'll also need to get into those hard drives."

Tyler nodded and left the room, taking out his cell phone as he did so, H looked around, but there was nothing more to see openly, "Ok Eric, you know what to do…"

&&&

Eric nodded, and headed for the Hummer to grab his kit, on his way back, he bumped into Ryan, who was coming down the stairs from the second floor. "Find something?"

Eric grinned, "No, H did…"

Ryan returned the grin, "It's good to have him back, but I wonder for how long…"

Eric paused, "What are you getting at? H isn't going anywhere except to the UK on that exchange."

Ryan frowned, "Not if what I just overheard is true. Two of the patrol guys were talking upstairs – apparently there's a rumour in the PD that someone is trying to push H out…"

Eric glared at Ryan, "And who is going to take his place? Calleigh?"

Ryan sighed, "That would be the best option for us – but according to the rumour, someone else has put himself forward for the post…" Eric could not help asking, and swore when Ryan gave his answer, "Stetler."

&&&&

Leaving Eric and Ryan at the club with Tyler, H headed back to the lab. Calleigh and Natalia were both working new cases, and Alexx had called him to come and see one of the victims.

Walking into the morgue, he found nothing about the victim that immediately caught his attention, but did notice that Alexx was watching him carefully…

"Alexx, What the hell is going on? First I get Eric watching me, now you…"

She chuckled, "Don't you worry Horatio, we're just keeping an eye on you, wouldn't want something to happen…"

H growled, "Has Mich said something to you?" Alexx shook her head and began to smile…

"No, but I wish I'd noticed something sooner. How did she manage to keep you home all day yesterday?"

H gave her a curious look, "She turned off the alarm, but what are you talking about Alexx?" The ME sighed, and admitted to calling Mich with her concerns about him after the Friday night operation.

"Calleigh and I spoke the same evening. Horatio, are you ok?" H tried to shrug off her concern, but realised that Alexx was not fooled. Quietly he began to tell Alexx what Mich had realised – but only the briefest of details.

"I let it get to me Alexx, kept too much to myself. I'm surrounded by people whom I regard as family – but I couldn't speak to any of you. Couldn't even speak to Mich…"

Alexx nodded, she understood, "Then this break will do you the world of good – I know it's not a holiday, but a change of scenery and lifestyle will help." She took a deep breath, "Don't take this the wrong way Horatio, but I'm talking to you not only as a friend but also as an ME. You need to cut back on what you're doing, otherwise your health is also going to suffer and I couldn't bear that happening to you…"

Horatio sat down on a nearby chair, and sighed, "Alexx, I will be cutting back. This time next year I'll be leaving the lab…"

Alexx at first was startled, but then nodded her head, "I didn't think you'd accept the chief's position, it would drive you crazy." Chuckling at the look he gave her, she explained that Calleigh had let slip what was going on. "Don't worry about the team Horatio, Calleigh will do a great job, you've trained them up really well. Miami will be safe in their hands – and you can be proud of the legacy that you leave behind."

H smiled shyly, Alex was not a person to dish out praise for nothing, but it was nice to hear it, "Thanks for the vote of confidence Alexx, but there is some one who would not agree with you, I know he'll try and push me out early. He'll undermine the whole team, knock their confidence…"

"Stetler?" Alexx chuckled, "Don't you worry about him. The team are strong enough to fight him off, and the word from my side of the house is that he is not our choice. Wasn't last time either, when a replacement was needed for Megan…"

"What do you mean Alexx?" H was curious, he hadn't realised that the ME side was also involved in the selection of a CSI lieutenant.

Smiling, Alexx looked him in the eye, "We need someone who can work with the victims families Horatio, you'd be surprised how many times something they say about a loved ones habits can break a case. Stetler hasn't got an empathic bone in his body. You just concentrate on what you need to do, and don't worry about that…"

H laughed, "You got it. I just don't know what I'll do when the time comes – I am certainly not going to retire…"

Alexx laughed, "Retire… didn't think you knew the meaning of the word. Unless it's filed along with those others that you are not supposed to use, I wouldn't worry Horatio, things have a habit of popping up when you least expect it…"

H laughed, "You're right, thanks Alexx." Getting up from the chair, a tap on the window made him look up, Paul Clarkson was trying to attract his attention. Excusing himself, he left the morgue wondering what on earth Paul could have for him now…

&&

Waving Paul into his office, H sat down behind his desk and gave him a questioning look as the Bureau agent placed some files on his desk…

"Is this to do with our case?"

Paul shook his head, "But I will be taking it off you Horatio – as we suspected, it's a whole lot bigger than Miami – as of next week, we'll slowly begin taking the evidence to our side of the house – leaving you what you need to take Walker to court of course…"

H grinned, he was actually quite happy about that – his team was small, and other cases were backing up while they checked through evidence relating to the 'Harem Case' as it was unofficially being called. Paul was doing him a favour taking the biggest chunk away, leaving him with just the murder and attempted murder charge – they had received news that Parker had died earlier that day.

Horatio told Paul about the room that he and Eric had found at the club. Causing the Agent to quickly call one of his people to help the CSI's on scene, "He knows the safe you're talking about. There is a backdoor into the system, if Tyler hasn't found it yet, he can help him."

H nodded and asked why Paul had come to see him, "To be honest, I don't know if you can, but a new set of eyes might help us out…"

Passing over the four files that were in front of him, Paul began to explain, "The top file is a murder investigation that is currently being run in Tampa – I know it is out of your jurisdiction, but one of our guys there noticed that the MO was very similar to a couple of cold cases that we have. As he began digging he found more..."

Paul went on to explain that the second file was a case about three months old, while the other two files were over ten years old, "He seems to think that the cases are related, even though they are so far apart…"

While Paul was talking, H had been flicking through the files, and agreed that he could see why the agent had picked up on the similarity of the cases. The murdered women had all been raped, before being dumped close to a motel that had a swimming pool. Each woman had been carefully placed in a sitting position, legs crossed.

"What do you want me to look for?"

Paul chuckled, "You're the CSI… You tell me what you find – and why you think these murders are so far apart."

H smiled, "Ok, I'll accept the challenge. Just tell me this, how many women are we talking about?"

Paul sighed, "Our agent found four similar cases over the last eight months, but before that, nothing, until these files cropped up from ten years ago. H, if this is the same guy, he's killed over ten women and we think possibly more…"

H stared at his friend, "Let me have these for a couple of weeks – Calleigh can cover for me – it'll prepare her for while I'm away, I'll let you know what I think before I go…"

Paul nodded and left, glancing back he smiled as he saw H opening the first file – a look of interest on his face. He hoped his idea would pay off, H was far too valuable to Law Enforcement to be allowed to retire.


	18. Chapter 18

Mich turned in surprise; she had been checking on Storm and was just closing the gate to his paddock when she heard the car behind her. Seeing the SUV she became concerned, it was only 5.30, why was Horatio home so early?

Quickly walking over to the car, she was slightly relieved when she saw the soft smile on H's face. He seemed ok on the outside, but his eyes told her that he was still not completely recovered.

"Hey… You ok?"

H chuckled; he had told Alexx that him coming home earlier than usual would worry Mich, "I'm fine sweetheart, a little tired, but fine… I got kicked out of my office by the girls. They told me to get my butt home and rest a little more."

Mich chuckled, and at that moment wished she could have been in the lab to see the look on his face. "They ganged up on you?"

H nodded, "Yeah, and when I went to get Ryan and Eric to back me up, the two of them hid away from me… Cowards…"

Mich began to laugh. "Well I guess Ryan is making sure he doesn't upset his bride to be, and Calleigh outranks both of them. Throw Alexx into the mix and you have one hell of a team against you…"

"Why do you think I gave in?"

Mich's laughter echoed around the barn area, Kate glanced out of Zephyr's box curiously and grinned when she saw H pulling Mich into his arms for a hug. Returning to her work, she continued to smile. She would have something good to report to Eric when she got home, it seemed H was finally starting to ease off the work load a little.

"Well, the dinner is cooking in the oven, but won't be ready for another half hour or more. Why don't you grab a shower and relax a bit, I haven't got much left to do…"

H pulled her closer, eyes twinkling, "Why don't you ask Kate and Nicky to finish up and join me?"

Mich chuckled, "I thought you were a little tired…"

"I'm not that tired." H was about to continue, when they were interrupted by Kyra calling from the house, saying that she had finished her homework, and could she ride for an hour?

Mich answered in the affirmative, but told her that she had to help Kate afterwards…

H chuckled, "So one down… Where's Amber?"

"Party at a friend's house, she'll be home at seven." H grinned and dragged Mich over to the entrance to the barn.

"Kate… Kate…" Smiling, Kate looked out of Zephyr's box, "Can you do us a favour and finish up – Kyra will help you, she's coming down to ride. I need to talk to Mich about this exchange that the PD are sending me on."

Kate nodded, "You guys go ahead, Kyra and I can take Knight and Symphony out for an hour." As H and Mich turned and began walking to the house she chuckled to herself, "Talk indeed…" She had seen a look in H's eyes that she recognised, Eric used it too…

&&&&

Kyra loved riding with Kate; she could talk to her about almost everything, and quite often ran an idea by her before asking her mum permission to do anything. Kate was also her trainer, though her mum was starting to take over, especially now, while she was exercising the Olympic horses.

"Kate… Can I ask you something?" Curiously Kate looked at her, Kyra was unusually thoughtful, and the expression on her face showed that she was worried about something.

"What's wrong Kyra? Trouble at school?"

Kyra shook her head, "No, I'm a little confused I guess… Is there something wrong with Horatio? He seemed fine, but over the weekend mum was really worried about him, and today they are both laughing as if everything's ok, but mum still looks concerned. Is he sick?"

Kate sighed, "Not exactly Kyra, from what Eric has told me he's just been working a little too hard lately, and it was starting to show. Your mum has managed to persuade him to cut back a little I guess – otherwise he wouldn't be home this early. He certainly seemed better this evening."

She was startled to see tears in Kyra's eyes, "Kyra, what's wrong?"

The teenager looked at her, "I don't want him to be sick, mum loves him so much, she would be so upset…" Her voice trailed off, as the tears began to fall. "I love him too, he's the only 'dad' I've ever known, but I've never been able to tell him… I always call him dad when I'm speaking to my friends, and when I talk to Amber, but I can't say it to his face…"

Kate was stunned, she knew that Kyra respected H a great deal and never spoke badly about him, but now she was seeing the depth of feeling that Kyra had for her mum's partner.

"I don't understand Kyra, why can't you call H 'dad'? I'm sure he wouldn't mind – quite the opposite in fact…"

Kyra stopped crying and explained that when H had first moved in she had asked what she should call him. "He suggested that I call him by his first name – Lieutenant Caine was ok while he was just a visitor, I thought it was so grown up…"

"and now?"

"It feels a little disrespectful, but I'm so used to it. It would be so much easier if he and mum would get married. Then I would have an excuse to change…"

Kate began to laugh, causing Kyra to look at her curiously, "What did I say that was so funny?"

Kate grinned, "I'm not laughing at you Kyra – it's just that you're not the only one who thinks that your mum and H should get married… Practically the whole team think they should too."

"Really!" Kyra began to laugh, but soon stopped though a half smile remained on her face, "I don't think they ever will, Horatio doesn't talk about it, and mum's afraid to push it because of Marisol…"

Kate was stunned, "Is that true? Eric told me he thinks it's because your dad got shot. Too many bad memories, Horatio doesn't want to upset your mum."

Kyra stared at her, and began to smile… "Then we'll just have to make them see, won't we…"

"Oh no you don't Kyra, you leave me out of this. The team have been teasing H about it for a while, and soon he'll get fed up of it, and he'll never go down that road."

Kyra chuckled at Kate's reply, "You have a point, but I have an advantage over the team. I am my mother's daughter; all I need to do is make Horatio see that it's a good idea…"

Kate shook her head, "Be careful Kyra. You shouldn't interfere with someone else's relationship, you could do a lot of damage. Anyway… what would you do? Ask H to marry your mum just so you can call him dad?"

Kyra grinned, "Maybe, but you're right, I don't want to upset either of them." Affecting a false voice she made Kate laugh, "This is a delicate operation… It must be carefully thought out and planned with precision…"

&&&

Kyra walked back into the house a little after an hour later and joined her mum in the kitchen, noticing that she must have had a shower. She certainly looked more relaxed and happier than she had earlier.

Just as she was laying the table, Amber came flying through the door, pausing briefly to give her mum a hug, she continued through to the living room to find her father. Kyra chuckled when she heard her sister complaining.

"Daddy… your hair's all wet…. Oof." Hearing Horatio laugh, she glanced briefly at her mum, who was trying not to look in her direction.

"Mum, do we need anything else?" Her mum shook her head, and suggested she go and relax. Walking into the living room Kyra began to laugh, Amber was deliberately messing up Horatio's hair, while he was trying to smooth it down. Her sister was having a fit of the giggles which were getting infectious.

"Ok… OK… I give in… You do it how you think it should be." Amber grinned, and combed her hands through her father's hair, making the top stand on end.

"Hmmm The spiky look, I have to admit squirt, you've got taste."

A chuckle behind her made her turn around, "I quite agree Kyra. It does look good, but I don't know if it's an acceptable style for the respectable Lieutenant Caine…"

Kyra grinned, it wasn't often that her mum teased Horatio, and it usually meant that it would be a fun evening. The laughing and joking continued through dinner, and as Kyra was helping her mum to tidy up, she decided that she would speak to him tonight.

As they finished up, H walked into the kitchen, "Kyra, could you do me and your mum a favour and watch Amber for an hour or so? I have to go somewhere, and I need your mum to come with me."

Kyra nodded and glanced at her mum – startled to see that she once again looked worried. Quickly she walked out of the room and dragged her sister upstairs, while Mich voiced her question, "Horatio, are you sure you want to do this now?"

H caught Mich around the waist and pulled her close. "No I'm not sure, but I don't want to put it off either… It'll only get more difficult."

&&&&&&

Mich drove; glancing across at Horatio, she knew that although she had broken into the box where he kept his negative emotions, the hole was a small one. As she was thinking, she came to the conclusion that maybe it was better that way – easier for both of them to manage, one step at a time. She just had to make sure that H didn't block up the hole until he had sorted himself out.

Parking the SUV, she climbed out and locked the doors as Horatio walked through the gate.

"Do you want me to wait here?"

Turning around to look at her, H paused and thought for a moment. "No… Please, come with me."

Mich nodded and joined him, linking her arm through his and giving it a soft squeeze. Glancing down he gave her a tight lipped smile, which quickly disappeared as they began to walk along the path.

Just before reaching their first stop, H paused by a bench, dropping his head. "I haven't been here in five years."

Mich gave him a hug, "I think time moves at a different pace here Horatio, I don't think they'll hold it against you."

H gave a wry chuckle and kissed her forehead, "Always helping me to feel better, I don't know what I would do without you…"

"That goes both ways Horatio, and you know it."

He nodded and took a deep breath. "Will you wait here? I need to do this alone, but I don't want you too far away…"

Mich nodded and sat down on the bench and watched as Horatio walked a little further. Clasping her hands together, she couldn't stop the tears in her eyes from forming, but fought to keep her emotions under control – that would not help H at all if he thought that she was upset.

He would instantly give up what he was doing to protect her – at the cost of losing himself. Watching him, she again spotted the stress from the last few weeks flowing across his face and prayed silently within herself, 'Dear God, help him, help him to let them go."

She had managed to talk to Alexx that afternoon without Horatio's knowledge, and through the discussion, she had answered Alexx's questions very carefully and as honestly as she could. It was her answers that had prompted Alexx to grab Calleigh and Natalia and kick H out of his office.

Alexx had confirmed her fears; Horatio was on the edge of a breakdown… Worse, because he blamed himself for the deaths of Marisol and Raymond and treated every victim as a personal friend, he was also sliding into clinical depression.

"We may have caught him just in time sugar, I'll do my part here, and you do your part at home, and between us we'll put him back together." Mich hoped Alexx was right –and it seemed H was taking the first step. She watched as he carefully knelt before the small headstone, trying not to hold her breath…

Horatio was oblivious to Mich, staring at the grave in front of him. Smiling, he noticed the flowers that could only have been there a day or two. So… she still came, he had made the right choice – to keep the distance between them in the past.

After offering up a short prayer H opened his eyes, "Hello Ray. How are you? Sorry I haven't been by…"

&&&

A soft voice startled Mich, but the accent gave away the owner immediately.

"Yelina, it's good to see you. How are you?" The ex-detective smiled, her whole face lighting up, the warmth showing in her eyes.

"I'm fine… Never better in fact," the little glint in her eye told Mich all she needed to know.

"I hope he looks after you, otherwise you might get a visit from big brother…" Yelina chuckled quietly, not wanting to disturb H.

"He's a great guy, Ray Junior really likes him, he treats us both right." Glancing down the pathway, she sighed and her face betrayed her emotions, "So… you finally got him here."

Mich dropped her head, looking at her hands. "I hope it works…" Yelina joined her on the bench, and caught hold of Mich's hands.

"I'd heard a couple of rumours, but nothing more, you want to tell me about it?" Mich sighed and filled her in quickly – leaving out the most sensitive information.

Yelina shook her head, "He always did take things too personally, it gave him his greatest strength – the determination to see things through to the end – the compassion for the victims and their families. However it was also his greatest weakness – he could never let go of those he could not avenge. I tried to tell him, on several occasions, but you know what he's like. Just locked everything away. Next time… he used to tell me… Next time I'll get the SoB that did this."

Mich nodded, it was an argument between Yelina and Horatio about this very topic that had caused a rift between them. Horatio had taken it the wrong way and Yelina had stopped coming to the barn.

"You should come over; the girls would love to see you." Yelina smiled, but Mich could tell that she didn't think it was a good idea. They were both startled by a soft voice.

"Yelina… Can I talk to you a minute?"

Mich began to stand up, but Yelina stopped her, "I listen better when I'm walking." Slowly, she and H walked away, Mich watching nervously, hoping that everything would be ok.

She was a little concerned when she saw Yelina shaking her head, looking annoyed, but heaved a sigh of relief when H wrapped his arms around her and held her close for a few minutes…

Producing a handkerchief, H said something that made Yelina laugh, and Mich saw the connection that he had with his sister-in-law. She still wondered what the full story was there, but would never ask – H would never tell her.

As they returned, Mich saw the two of them smiling and Mich began to feel happier. Another wound healed…

"Yelina might join us for dinner Sunday evening – would that be ok?"

Mich grinned, "That would be great, don't forget to bring Ray Jnr and your new man." Yelina smiled and told Mich not to worry, they would all be there, giving her a quick hug, she turned and walked to Ray's grave.

H looked at Mich and sighed, though she was glad to see that he looked a little more at peace. "Ok so far. One more to visit." Mich nodded and once again linked her arm through his as they made their way to Marisol's resting place.


	19. Chapter 19

As they walked through the cemetery, Mich could feel the tension building in Horatio and was confused. She knew that part of H still loved Marisol, but accepted it. Part of her still loved Robert after all, but why would he be so tense?

Turning down the path that led to Marisol's grave, Horatio hesitated. Mich looked at him in concern.

"Horatio… Are you ok? We can do this another day if it would help."

H shook his head, "No, I have to do this now…. Otherwise I will never come back."

He stopped next to another bench, looking down the path and took a deep breath. "Mich, there's something I need to tell you. Something about Marisol and I."

Mich was curious, Horatio had never spoken about Marisol in all the time they had been together, she thought it was because he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. However, the expression on his face told her that there was another reason.

"Horatio, you don't have to tell me anything – I know part of you still loves her – she was your wife after all."

The pain that came to his eyes made Mich reach out to Horatio in alarm. "That's just it Mich… I don't know if I really did"

Mich was stunned and stared at him, "I don't understand…"

H sat next to her on the bench pulling away slightly, staring at his hands. The fact that he was keeping his distance from her scared Mich and she was unsure what to do.

"I always told her I loved her, but it was always just words to make her feel better…"

Mich couldn't work it out, what the hell was Horatio talking about? Eric had told her just how much Marisol had adored Horatio, and how much he had returned that love. Had Horatio lied to them all?

"Why don't you tell me the whole story, right from the beginning? Maybe talking will help."

Horatio looked at her, the pain showing in his face, yet he knew Mich was right. He had never spoken to anyone about his relationship with Marisol, afraid that people would think of her as naive and gullible. Seeing that he had he had abused her feelings and her trust in him.

Taking a deep breath, he talked about how they had met, when Eric had been accused of taking drugs, then later, when she had been picked up buying for her support group.

"She invited me over for dinner to say thank you. I couldn't say no, I could see that she needed company other than her family. I felt sorry for her."

Mich nodded, "I don't see anything wrong in that, she was going through a bad time, you going over and spending time with her must have helped her to get through it."

Horatio smiled, "She told me it did, it made her feel good, cooking for someone other than her family. I joked that she could cook for me as often as she liked. Now, when I look back, I realise that she must have read more into the statement than I meant to show."

Mich sighed. This was going to be tougher than she thought.

"So, what did you mean?"

Horatio sighed. "I just wanted her to know that if she needed company other than family, I was there for her. She started inviting me over on a regular basis, and I enjoyed being with her. We went out a few times, but I never said that I wanted a relationship, neither did she…"

Mich sighed, seeing the look on his face, she realised that Horatio was beating himself up inside over this one. Suddenly she had a thought, the guilt that H was feeling over Marisol was deeper than she had expected – and maybe this was at the root of H's trouble. She had to keep him talking.

"So what happened to change everything?" H told her about the case of stolen cars where Marisol had got hurt.

"I was so angry that this had happened to her, she was suffering enough, then this occurred – and later they broke into her apartment. I told her to stay at my place so she could be safe. Suddenly everything was different, she stayed for a couple of nights, then moved back into her own place, but I wasn't happy about it… I thought she might still be in danger."

Mich smiled to herself as she realised what had happened, H had become protective of someone who he saw as a friend, but had denied his feelings to himself, thinking it was just concern for a close friend who had become a victim.

"So… You asked her to move back in?"

H nodded, "Until we had caught all the gang and closed down the operation, but by then…" His voice tailed off, and he looked a little embarrassed. Mich closed the gap between them, understanding what had taken place…

"What happened then?"

H took a deep breath, "Marisol talked about giving up chemo because she wanted to have kids, I questioned her about it, but she was determined. When she started hinting, I have to admit I was flattered – and tempted… I'd always wanted to have a family." Smiling, he gave Mich a soft kiss on the cheek, distracted for a moment.

He sighed, "She was so happy when I said I would be there for her. She started to move things into my place. Eric was getting concerned – but I knew what I was getting myself into, I wanted her to be happy."

Horatio stopped talking, dropping his head, he spoke in a whisper. "Later, she asked me if I was happy with what was happening, I said I was. That was when she mentioned getting married, so if we had kids, we could be a proper family… I agreed."

Mich saw the desperate look in Horatio's eyes and knew the truth… H had felt sorry for Marisol in the beginning, and being the compassionate person he was had tried to help her. As they had got to know each other, Marisol had recognised her feelings for H and acted on them.

H in turn, had responded, but not realised why, Mich laughed inside. He had done the same thing to her… But how to help him see the truth?

&&&

Horatio stared into the distance and took a deep breath. Talking about Marisol was difficult – he had never shared what had happened with anyone, hiding the truth as he saw it. Yet, here he was telling Mich what had happened between them.

"So you asked Marisol to marry you, to make everything right."

"Not quite… She asked me, I said yes." H refused to meet her eyes and Mich was not going to force the issue.

"Then what?" Horatio told her about the wedding, and the short time they had together. Explaining about the Mala Noche, Mich could see the anger in his eyes.

"Marisol used to buy from Riaz for her group, but when she gave up the chemo, she stopped buying. He went after her, sent someone to take her out – it was a bonus that she was married to me." Mich tried to stop H from talking to point something out, but he continued.

"On the way to the hospital the ambulance was blocked – I had to deal with it, but it was too late, by the time they got her into surgery she had lost a lot of blood, she was too weak to fight, I lost her…" Horatio's hands balled into fists, and Mich could see the grief in his eyes.

"It was my fault. If I hadn't got involved with her, she would still be here…"

"That's not necessarily true Horatio…"

"How can you say that? If we hadn't got involved, she wouldn't have started thinking about having kids… Wouldn't have stopped the chemo. Wouldn't have stopped buying the drugs for herself and her friends, Riaz wouldn't have used her as an excuse to get back at me." Horatio's anger came out unchecked and Mich knew she had to be careful or she would do more damage than good.

"Are you sure she stopped the chemo because of you?"

H glared at her, "She stopped because she wanted kids, we were together at the time… Do the math Mich."

"I am, but you're the one who isn't. Was it because of you she stopped the chemo, or would she have stopped if she felt she was in a meaningful relationship, regardless of the man…" Horatio stared at her, confused.

"Horatio, you said it yourself, Riaz went after her because in his eyes he lost a dealer, and it was a bonus that he also hit you where it would hurt the most."

H's eyes were a little wild as Mich forced him to look at things from a different angle, "Look at the evidence Horatio… You're the CSI, I only have one question, why did you go to Rio?"

H answered without thinking, "To get Riaz…"

"Why?"

"To make him sit out his time, but the Brazilian authorities released him."

"So why did you stay, why didn't you come home straight away?"

H jumped to his feet, his voice deadly quiet "I wanted to pay him back, get revenge for Marisol's death – avenge her. If I couldn't put him away, I was going to make sure he couldn't hurt anyone else again. Why are you asking me this? You know how I feel about it… It's my fault."

Mich stood up and looked him in the eye, "I'm asking you, because I want to know how you could tell me that you didn't love Marisol, yet you were still able to kill a man to avenge her death. If you didn't love her, what was the point of going to Brazil?"

Horatio stared. Mich had listened to his whole story and clinically dissected it to get to the root of the problem. "Are you telling me that you're a cold blooded killer Horatio? That you might turn on someone without warning, that one day, you might lose your temper and turn on me, or the girls?"

"I would never do that to you. You know that." H sat back down, his eyes betraying his thoughts, the confusion he felt inside. Slowly Mich's words began to register and things started to slot into place…

"I did love her, I really did. When she died, I knew it, but over the years I can't remember feeling anything when I thought about her, so I began to doubt…" He paused, the pain and grief showing in his eyes. "Oh god Mich…"

Mich sat down and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, but she knew tears would not come; too much time had passed for that. All H could do was make peace with himself, which was what was necessary.

"Mich, would you wait here?" She nodded and watched as H made his way to Marisol's final resting place.

&&

Horatio sighed. Dropping to one knee, he glanced at the picture of Marisol that someone had placed on the grave since his last visit. Looking up, he almost smiled as he saw the concerned look on Mich's face, and felt lucky to be with her, she had helped him through one of the worst times of his life, and now he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. He would have to think up something pretty special to say thank you.

"Hello Horatio. It's about time you came by." H smiled wryly at Marisol's voice in his head.

"I was detained. Misguided by my own doubts… I'm sorry Marisol… Sorry I couldn't see what you meant to me." He could imagine her chuckle.

"We were never meant to be Horatio, sooner or later I would have left you, in some ways this is better, while I was still young and beautiful, and you can remember me like this. She was always the one for you; I just filled in the space."

"Not true, you were more than that to me… I know that now."

"Good, because it means you will never take Mich for granted either. Go home Horatio, go and be with your family."

Standing up Horatio smiled, "Bye Marisol, and thanks." Walking back to Mich, he noticed the concern on her face disappearing, replaced by a warm smile. "Let's go home…"

Mich grinned, "Who's driving?" Grabbing her waist, H delivered a kiss to her lips, at the same time searching for the keys in her pockets, then laughed as she waved them in front of his nose. Snatching them off her, he led her back towards the car park, turning his back on the ghosts of the past. Remember them he would, but they would no longer haunt him.

&&&&

Arriving back at the barn, Mich was surprised to see that Kyra was downstairs watching TV. Normally she would be chatting to her friends online, or watching something in her room.

"Is everything ok sweetie?"

Kyra stood up and gave her mum a hug. "I'm fine mum, but I need to talk to you and Horatio about something."

Mich looked at Horatio in concern. Usually when Kyra wanted to speak to both of them, there was some sort of trouble in her daughter's life. The last time it had been Kyra's decision to follow the sciences, rather than languages at school. Kyra had been so worried that her mum would be angry, she had been afraid to talk about it for almost two months – Kate had persuaded her to discuss it with Mich and Horatio.

H gave Kyra a measured look, but said nothing; he couldn't gauge her mood tonight, something unusual for him. He hoped this wouldn't be too much of a problem; he had a question of his own to ask Mich.

"What is it Kyra… What's wrong?"

Kyra smiled, "Nothing really, it's just… Well, I've been thinking…" Mich sat next to H on the sofa, senses alert. This was unusual behaviour for her eldest daughter. "When Horatio moved in, I remember asking him what I should call him... I couldn't exactly go around calling him Lieutenant Caine when he was becoming part of the family."

H grinned remembering the conversation he'd had with the then ten year old. "I told you to call me Horatio; after all, it is my name."

Kyra nodded, "So I did, it's just that… I'm becoming uncomfortable with it now. When I was ten, it was cute. Now I'm feeling it disrespectful. No-one of my age calls a grown-up by their first name. It's not right."

Mich and H looked at each other, not quite sure what to say, "Would it be a problem if I used something else?"

Horatio shook his head, still confused, "I really don't mind you using my name Kyra, but if it would make a difference to you…" He paused, "What did you have in mind? Some young people use 'sir', but that's a bit too formal for my liking."

Kyra bit her lip and took a deep breath, "Well… I was thinking… Would you mind very much if I called you… dad?"

Mich was stunned. It was true that Kyra respected H a great deal, but her request now showed a depth of feeling she had only seen the surface of until recently. Glancing at Horatio, she noticed that she wasn't the only one to have tears in her eyes…

Walking across the room, H cleared his throat and caught Kyra up into a big hug, "I would like that Kyra; I would like that very much."


	20. Chapter 20

_So... we're about halfway through the story and I just wanted to thank you guys for reviewing. Those tat are new to my stories may want to read 'A New Beginning' which details how Mich and Horatio met - it will answer a couple of questions you may have, but also make you think of many more!_

_Enjoy_

**Lucy**

Horatio sat on the bed and glanced around, smiling to himself. This had been his home for the last five years, though it felt longer. Next to him, the suitcase was packed with mainly his clothes, but also several of Mich's.

Flying with the horses meant she could only take a carry on, so H had suggested sending some of their things over to her dad earlier, which she had agreed to, but there were still a few last minute things to pack.

H gave a wry smile and hoped he wouldn't be stopped at customs; he might have a little explaining to do about some of the items of clothing otherwise. Especially as Mich wasn't travelling with him.

The last few weeks had flown by and his mind was still reeling a little. Catching up on the Harem case, so he could work with the British Law enforcement agencies and possibly Interpol, had left him passing a lot of his duties over to Calleigh a little early, though the Chief was happy about it.

"It'll give her time to settle in Horatio, and make her position stronger."

H had given him a quizzical look, but the Chief had said nothing more, leaving him with a little puzzle to solve.

Talking of puzzles… Paul Clarkson's cold cases had intrigued him, to the extent that he had almost begun to wish that he was not going on the exchange, but he had finished up with the files a few days before.

Paul had admitted there were more, but refused to hand them over. "The suggestions you've made about using some new techniques and re-examining some of the cases can be followed out on the others too H. Thanks to your insight, my team have something they can work with." Paul had also taken most of the evidence of the Harem case with him; it had now become a state-wide case, after details found in Walkers hidden safe – along with passports from over 500 girls.

He had arranged for Paul and Calleigh to work together – Paul's CSI team were well trained, but lacking in experience – he was looking for a team leader, but unfortunately the wage was not as high as many expected – so he had few takers.

Horatio sighed. Part of him was still not happy about his dual role in the UK; his concern for Mich was playing on his mind, though he tried to squash it as much as he could. The last few weeks had been as close to hell as he had ever wanted to get, and he never wanted to go there again.

Slowly, Mich had been able to draw him out, once he had told her the story of his relationship with Marisol, referring to it when he tried to hide something inside. One evening she had got him to talk so much about how he felt about past cases – which had affected him the most and why – he had wished that Mich would help interrogate suspects with him. He would have signed confessions within minutes…

Making a joke about it, Mich had smiled sadly, pain showing in her eyes. He had been confused at first, but then realised that she would have been trained in interrogation techniques – and was probably not happy using them to get him to talk.

She had also got him to talk about Speed, and the day he had died in H's arms. As they spoke, she realised that H had felt a connection with the younger man – more so than he had with Eric, until Marisol had come along and united the two of them as family.

Mich realised that Speed's death had affected H as deeply as losing Marisol. H had seen Speed's death as a waste of life, and was continuously going over the situation in his mind, wondering if there was something he could have done.

Mich had listened quietly, nodding her head, she too had seen colleagues lost and been able to do nothing about it. "You know Horatio… No matter how many times you think things through, there's nothing you can do about it, sometimes it's just their time to go…"

H smiled, for a person in her kind of profession, Mich had a strong belief in fate – though she also insisted that people created their own luck, "It's just opening a different set of doors…"

A footstep at the door made H turn slightly, though he knew it was Mich. The last few weeks had drawn them even closer together – so much so that Eric had joked that he and Mich were now joined at the hip – and surgery would be required to separate them.

"All done?"

H nodded. "I wish we were all travelling together, it would be so much easier."

Mich smiled and walked into the arms that had opened to ask her to come close. Leaning her head on his chest, she sighed. "I know, but at least this way you'll be settled in before we arrive. The first days will be so hectic, you'll be glad of the peace and quiet."

H tightened his grip around her, but said nothing. Mich had a point, but he knew one thing, he was missing them already. The way Amber's eyes would light up when he arrived home and he was able to spend time with her.

Kyra's quick mind and conversation as he helped her with some aspect of her homework – although these days she would be asking him to check if she was right, not really needing his help.

Mich… He dropped his head into her shoulder; she was so much a part of him now, especially after the last couple of weeks. He had laid himself open, revealed the emotional and psychological scars of his past, and one by one she had helped him to heal, not telling or advising him what to do, but just allowing him to help himself.

Horatio now knew that he had no secrets left to hide from her, she knew everything, but he also knew she would never use them against him, because to do so would break her heart – as well as his.

"I'm going to miss you."

Mich clung to him trying with difficulty to hide the tears. "We'll only be apart for a week. Surely you can hold out that long."

H chuckled softly, "I'll try my best, but will you be ok? That's what worries me…"

Mich pulled a face at him, "I'll survive, it'll be hard the last day when the girls leave, but I'll probably be going insane by then."

"Just don't forget your checklist…" Mich laughed, before every competition, Mich went though her list of what she needed to make sure nothing was forgotten. This time was no exception – except that the list was three times longer than usual.

"Don't worry, Nicky has that. He said that he'll do the checking, otherwise I'll forget the most important thing."

"And that would be?"

Mich rolled her eyes at him, "The horses…"

Laughing at Nicky's comment, H saw Mich's eyes soften, relieved to see him happy again. Catching the back of her head gently, he drew her in for a tender kiss, which, as Mich responded, became deeper.

Breaking slowly away, H smiled, "Something to leave with you until you arrive, so you don't forget me."

Mich pulled a face, "As if I could…"

&&&

Waving Horatio off at the airport, Mich felt the wrench of separation so strongly it was as if someone had removed a part of her own self. She sighed, and walked back to where she had parked the SUV.

Once inside, she hesitated before driving away, the ache in her body drawing tears to her eyes. "Snap out of it girl, you'll only be apart for a week." Dear God… When had Horatio got so deep under her skin that she couldn't live without him?

She pulled a face, knowing the answer to that one, it was called time…

After H had moved in with her, they had initially been careful – each knowing that the other was strong willed and hot tempered. Mich was the more volatile of the two, but Horatio had the patience to wait things out. Though both had a tendency to hide their feelings, Mich was the more empathic – possibly through her work with the horses, sensing when things were not right.

Slowly but surely they had become closer – each giving a little, each taking a little… They were enough alike to understand each other, but also different enough to balance each other out. Horatio's steadfastness calming her volatility, his mental strength supporting her when she felt insecure.

In return, Mich gave H her full support – never wavering in her loyalty to him – even if she wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. When H made a decision, Mich backed him in it. One thing that H had to get used to was the fact that Mich did not care if people knew how she felt about him.

As she drove home, she chuckled as she remembered his reaction the first time she had kissed him in public. It had only been a soft kiss on the cheek, outside the lab, but it had been enough to bring a light blush to his skin. He had asked her never to do it again… A request she had ignored, though she always made sure that he was in a good mood when she chanced her luck.

Though they had their ups and downs like any couple – and here Mich had to admit it was usually her volatile temper that caused them – they were always able to talk things through. Looking back over the last couple of weeks, Mich felt drained by the experience, it had taken every ounce of her being to get H to talk, to help him heal.

Part of her had been horrified at some of the stories he had told, others had brought her close to tears, but she had stayed with him. Drawing him out, comforting him when it was needed, with it came a deeper understanding of who he was, and what had made him the man he had become.

Mich had also learnt a few things about herself during that time, some surprising, others less so, but all confirming the same thing. She loved Horatio more than life itself…

&&&

Horatio relaxed back in the chair, thankful that he had chosen to fly business class, the extra leg room was certainly worth the extra cost. Allowing his mind to wander, he cast it back over the last few months and realised that the signs had been there – he could have prevented the situation from occurring, yet, in a way he was glad he hadn't.

The whole episode had brought he and Mich closer together, and through opening up to her, she, in return, had also opened up to him. He had learnt the full story of her life with Jack, in exchange for the story of his own traumatic childhood. Though there were parts of Mich's past he still did not know about, her work for MI5 for example, he was content, the final necessary secrets had been told, on both sides.

After a better than expected in-flight dinner, he dropped back the chair and began to drift off to sleep, the image in his mind of three people – A young red-headed girl, a dark haired, intelligent teenager, and a blond haired, blue eyed woman who took his breath away. A group of women he was proud to call family.

Landing at Heathrow was accomplished with little difficulty, but he was glad to see that Derek had come to meet him personally.

"How was the flight Horatio? Any problems?"

H answered in the negative, glad he had been able to sleep – he had taken a morning flight, and was arriving at the beginning of a British day. Following Derek outside, he was pleasantly surprised by the weather – a warm sunny day, Derek chuckled at the look on his face.

"Let me guess – you thought it would be raining"

H grinned sheepishly, "Is it that obvious?"

Derek laughed, "Always happens, and I noticed that you had your long coat over your arm… You've come at the best time of year, early summer generally throws us a few good days, though I dare say you'll need your coat soon enough."

Derek took him quickly to the 'office' the main headquarters of New Scotland Yard. "Sorry we have to come here first H, but your home for the next few weeks is a little out of town – you'll have to commute in just like the rest of us. I'll take you to meet the people you'll be working with, and get the day started, before I show you to the house after lunch – is that ok?"

H nodded, he was quite happy just to 'go with the flow' for a couple of days, just to get a feel for how things worked. Following Derek down a couple of corridors, they soon came to a meeting room where several men and women were gathered, drinking coffee…

One of the women gave him a coy smile and whispered to the other who raised an eyebrow, "Lieutenant Caine… Finally we get to meet you." H gave them a curious look. The blonde gave a soft chuckle and held out her hand, "Sam Ryan, pathologist, I doubt we'll see much of each other, this is Jo Flynn – she and Mich used to work undercover together."

"Pleased to meet you, though I'm afraid you have one up on me – I've heard your names mentioned, but Mich told me little about her work."

Jo's face became sympathetic. "It was a tough part of her life Lieutenant, part she wishes to forget; I'm not surprised she didn't tell you anything, always one for secrets was our Mich."

"Please, call me Horatio, or H… I would prefer it."

Sam was about to continue, when Derek interrupted, to introduce H to the four men in the room. Shaking hands, H felt confident that he would have no problems working with the first three, but the last sent his senses haywire.

"Frank Robertson, I'm the main chemist on the team." Shaking hands with the man, H couldn't help feeling that they had met before.


	21. Chapter 21

Looking out of the window around him, Horatio began to get acquainted with the English countryside. London itself intrigued him – the city was a blend of old and new, with various eras of architecture displayed wherever you looked.

As Derek drove, he thought about the team he would be working with, and smiled to himself, Mich had been right, his first week here was going to throw him so many curve balls as he adjusted to a new way of doing things, he probably would appreciate the peace and quiet.

Derek informed him that the place they would be living was out in the suburbs away from the city. "I hope you don't mind commuting in Horatio, but with Mich needing to be at the training yard by 8.00 every morning, I found somewhere a little closer to her base than yours."

"It's not a problem Derek, I'm quite used to getting up early, I really don't mind."

H had been surprised that he wasn't expected to arrive early at the lab. Most of the team usually came in at around eight, finishing between four and five. Sam and Jo had explained things to him. In the UK, things were far more compartmentalised, each lab working independently, passing their findings up the line to the detective in charge of the case.

When he asked how they followed up leads, Jo had chuckled, "We don't, that's the detective's job, we work with the science. Well... most of the time."

Sam had chuckled, "What Jo means, is that we are only supposed to work the evidence, but in the past all of us here have been guilty in digging a little deeper than we should – following up a hunch that something is not right, I have to be honest – we've all landed in hot water a few times…"

"That's why you're here, the force needs us to be more integrated, more of a team… It's the way you work, so you can help us."

H raised his eyebrows, he hadn't realised that his being on the exchange was that important, thinking it was something that Derek had set up so he could be near Mich.

"It's also why Rhys has been sent to Miami, so when he comes back he can continue what you have started. He's the supervisor on this new section – and the 'investigative' part." Horatio started to smile, it seemed that things were going to be a lot more interesting than he had thought.

"The first thing we need to do is be able to bring all the labs together… If you're all in different buildings, it doesn't matter how much you work together, integration is not going to be complete."

John, the AV tech, chuckled, "I wouldn't worry about that Horatio, you just follow us, it's about time we got to work anyway."

Curious, H had followed the rest, and then found himself in what was obviously a brand new lab.

"This used to be where the old computer system used to be housed, but the records section has been moved elsewhere – leaving this nice big space for us to play with." Frank grinned, and handed H a thin card coated in plastic.

"This is yours – forget it at home, and you won't even get in through the door. State of the art computer system, your prints have already been registered. Put your hand on the plate and swipe the card. It's the only way in."

H tried not to smile, he bet Mich could find another way if she had to…

&&&

Joining Derek for lunch, H was surprised when they went onto the motorway. "There's a really good pub in Windsor, and as it's about halfway to where you'll be living, I thought we'd take advantage of it."

After a lunch, which had H pleasantly surprised at the size of the portions - he'd heard that American sized portions were unusual in the UK – they continued their journey, taking the M4 motorway, which Derek told him would ultimately lead to Wales and Mich's childhood home.

About thirty minutes later, Derek pulled off the M4 and headed into the countryside, H looked about him with interest, realising that they were close to their journey's end.

"I'm sorry to drop this on you H, but Mother insisted. I'll take you up to the house first, before we move on to the lodge where you and Mich will be staying."

H gave Derek a quizzical look, "What do you mean Derek?"

Derek Foster looked at H curiously and then started to chuckle, "You mean she hasn't told you? Then I'm really sorry about this, but her grandmother wants to see the 'young gentleman' that has kept her grand-daughter away from the family."

H began to feel wary, Mich had not spoken much about her family, except to tell him that her mother had been killed in a car accident when she was ten, and had then been brought up by her father and his family. Horatio now began to realise that Mich had deliberately changed the subject when they spoke about her life in Britain.

He had thought it was because of her work for Scotland Yard, and '5', but now he was almost sure that there was another reason, if the smile on Derek's face was anything to go by.

Passing a village by the name of Theale, H noticed that anyone living in this area was most likely well off, basing his thoughts on the number of high-end cars he could see passing through the streets.

Mercedes, BMW and Land Rover were the transport of choice in this neighbourhood, and he asked Derek what car he had hired for himself and Mich to use.

"Well as you'll be commuting in, I would suggest that you use the train rather than drive, otherwise it'll take you over two hours to get to the yard – we've already got your season ticket sorted – you can draw a car from the yard pool if you need something to get around in, though I'm sure one of the guys will drive you anywhere you like.

"For the next few days, I've arranged for the estate manager to drop you off at the station. As for hiring a car, it's not necessary, you can use one of the estate's Discovery's for the weekends."

"Estate?" Derek chuckled at the question, but said nothing as he turned off the main road through a large ornamental gate. Horatio's eyes opened wide as Derek continued along the driveway, passing through a large open area, before pulling up outside a large stately home.

"This looks like it should be in a film…"

Derek burst out laughing, "It was, 'Pride and Prejudice' was filmed here in 2005. The producers asked our permission to use the house. Mother agreed immediately, she's a big Jane Austen fan."

Horatio got out of the car and stared at Derek, "Are you telling me, you LIVE here?"

Derek shook his head, "No, I live in London, I'm only the third son, but Mich grew up here – we lived in the lodge when I was home. My eldest brother is the Earl now… Welcome to Basildon Hall Horatio."

As Derek went inside, H was stunned and paused near the door. "Derek, are you telling me that Mich is part of British aristocracy?"

Derek roared with laughter, "You mean she never told you!"

He calmed down to a chuckle, "Mind you, I'm not surprised, she always wanted to make her own way in life and said she would do it without using the family name. Foster is my grandmother's maiden name – that's why we both used it when we were working for '5'. Everyone was so used to calling her Mich, it was easy to start calling her Michelle."

He paused and looked at H, "Do you know what her name actually is?" H shook his head,

"We never discussed it, and to be honest, I don't really think it's necessary – she'll still be Mich to me."

Derek nodded, "But to her grand-mother, she's not, she will always be Kerys, just so you know."

"So where does the Mich come from?"

"Micheline, it was her mother's name." Derek continued along the corridor, saying nothing more, but H had seen the pain in his eyes. Saying nothing, he followed trying to absorb all this new information when he chuckled to himself, he was going to have some fun out of this one.

&&&

Mich was going crazy. Everything was ready – paperwork for the horses, trunks full of equipment – saddles, bridles, rugs and bandages, plus everything else the horses needed for the trip. Her own things had also been packed and sent, all checked off on the list that had been safely looked after by Nicky, but something was missing, Mich could feel it in her bones – she had forgotten to put something in her luggage, something important.

Nicky sighed, "Mich, I checked and double checked everything – it's all there, everything on the list is accounted for…"

"Oh my God… That's it; give me the list a minute." Scanning through quickly, Mich nodded her head, "I forgot to write it down, that's why it's not here."

Running upstairs, she opened her jewellery box, and took out a smaller black box. Opening it she smiled softly, the pin inside was solid gold, given to her by her grandfather when she had won her first three day event as a junior.

"I made it Grampa, after all these years, I finally made it, and just in time too…" Looking up she saw her face in the mirror, a little older – and more tired than she should be. Though she hid it well, Mich knew that the falls of the past were now taking their toll, weakening her body. Before long she would have to take the decision that all riders hated.

"I have to make a choice Grampa, and whichever path I choose will affect my future and my family. I cannot put it off any longer; I just hope that Horatio will understand."

Walking downstairs, she put the small box carefully into a riding boot where it would be safe during the journey. Closing and padlocking the two trunks, she called the workers from the international carrier so they could load them onto the truck for transport to the UK.

Walking to the sofa she paused and picked up a picture of herself and Horatio, taken a couple of years before at a BBQ Mich had held at the farm. Neither of them had known the picture had been taken until Eric had handed it over. Smiling, she sat down, tracing a finger around H's face…

&&&

Horatio followed Derek into a small drawing room, he had mentioned that his mother had three rooms to herself – all on the ground floor. The drawing room was the largest of the three, where she 'entertained', and along with a bedroom (along with en-suite) and her conservatory was now her 'suite' until she decided she was tired of life.

"She has the Scottish blood Horatio, and as tough as they come… Ruled the family with an iron hand, if the truth be said, she still does. Just be yourself."

For some reason, the comment made H more wary than anything else…

"Hello mother," Derek bent and gently kissed the grey haired old woman that was sitting near the open fire. Horatio almost smiled, the tenderness in his eyes showing that while the Dowager Countess may have ruled over her family with an iron fist, it must have been wrapped in a velvet glove.

"Come forward you man, let me see you." Horatio raised his eyebrows; he hadn't been called 'young man' in many years. "So, you are the one who has kept Kerys away from me. If my husband were still alive, he would be telling you off right about now. Take a seat, make yourself comfortable… Derek, would you do the honours…"

Winking at Horatio, Derek acknowledged the Countess' request and disappeared. "He's just going to get a light snack for us, so while he's out of the room, you can tell me the story. All anyone tells me is that my only grand-daughter is in the States and never coming home."

Seeing the blue eyes twinkle Horatio began to smile, within the frail body, the Countess' mind was still strong. Chuckling to himself, he now realised where Mich got her character from.

"Something funny young man?"

"Well ma'am, first of all, I don't think of myself as a 'young man', my name is Horatio, but finally meeting you, I can see that Mich certainly follows your side of the family."

The Countess glared at him stony faced, but just as H wondered if he had crossed some kind of invisible line, she began to chuckle, "So, Horatio, you no longer consider yourself young, that is a shame. I am 92 years old, so in my case, you are a young man, and a flatterer too, no wonder my grand-daughter fell for you, all that charm, and a red-head too… Finally her good taste has come out."

H chuckled, he had noticed some of the pictures around the room and realised that the late Earl had also had the tell-tale features of being red-haired in his younger life.

"So, Horatio, tell me what Kerys has been up to, and don't you leave anything out." Looking H in the eye she smiled softly, "Derek said you've been looking after her for us, I'm so glad she found someone who could, I was never happy with her going to work for the Secret Service, but she was very close to her father after her mother died."

H was startled, "You knew?"

The Countess chuckled, "Nothing happens under this roof without my knowing Horatio, when Kerys began working for MI5, this estate became her sanctuary between operations. It's almost a family tradition, her father and uncle both worked there, and my husband worked with the French resistance during the Second World War."

"She tried to hide it from me, but I knew the signs, though I have to admit, I was surprised it came out in her and none of the others. Mind you, I might have guessed, she was always a dare-devil and my husband encouraged her. Now… let's change the subject, and talk about something more recent. I want to know how you two met."


	22. Chapter 22

Horatio glanced around him as he put his case and suit carrier on the bed. The lodge was not large, three bedrooms and bathroom/toilet upstairs, kitchen and living/dining room downstairs, but it was perfect. It had that comfortable feel that made you feel at home and he knew that the four of them would be happy here.

Looking out of the window, his mouth stretched into an appreciative smile, the view from the master bedroom was stunning, rolling countryside, with trees dotted here and there, hedgerows completing the patchwork quilt effect that many people thought about when thinking of the English countryside.

To his right, he could see the stream that the Countess had told him about, where Mich had gone fishing for sticklebacks with her grandfather on her weekend visits when she was small. To his left, open parkland, and the Hall a few minutes walk away.

He had spent most of the afternoon with the Countess, talking mainly about Mich and hearing stories about her childhood, which entranced him, as Mich very rarely said anything. Upon telling his host, she immediately asked him to get a large photo album out from a nearby drawer, and the two of them spent an hour trading stories.

H realised that the Countess had expertly drawn him out, getting him to talk about things from his past that he would never have told a complete stranger, yet, he felt comfortable doing so. "Just one thing you have to promise me Horatio, is that you will never let on to Kerys that I told you all these stories…. She'll kill me if she finds out."

Horatio chuckled at the sparkle in her eye, knowing that she quite expected him to tease Mich with some of them, "Tell me about your children, I'm so looking forward to meeting the two of them."

H paused, "But you know Kyra is not mine."

The Countess smiled and took H's hand in hers, "Horatio, she may not be yours by birth, but one thing I know is the look on your face when you showed me her picture. You are as proud and as fond of her as any biological father could be, and for that reason, she is your daughter more than anyone else's. I cannot wait to see how she has grown up."

Talking about the two girls, Horatio realised how right the Countess was, even though Kyra was not his, he was as proud of her achievements as any father could be. "I hope that she has turned out the way you like…"

The Countess laughed, "With you as her father, how could she not? Horatio, I knew Robert, he was a lovely young man who got mixed up in something that he should never have got involved in. For a while I thought…" she faltered, "Has Kerys told you anything about him?"

"A little, but nothing too personal." H hesitated, not sure if he should say more. Looking at his host, he relaxed a little. Who else would know Mich more than himself? "I know that part of Mich still loves him, she admitted it to me herself. I accept it… After all, he is Kyra's father."

The Countess nodded, "When I learnt the truth about Robert, I could not believe it. I think part of the reason that he had the courage to turn himself in was due to the love they shared. I was worried that she would never be happy, but their love was doomed from the start. Still, he has paid his debt to society, and is now using his past to help the Police and Security Services in the battle against the drug companies…"

H had been startled by the news, "You mean he's not in prison?"

The Countess shook her head, "No, he was released about a year ago, new identity etc etc… Didn't you know?"

H had shaken his head, "No I didn't, I wonder why Derek didn't mention anything." Sitting quietly for a moment, H had felt a cold shiver go down his spine, did Mich know? If she didn't, how would she react when she found out?

&&&

Later, Derek had sighed when H quizzed him about Robert Franks release. "I'm sorry Horatio, I knew you would find out sooner or later, I wanted to tell you myself, but mother got there first."

"Does Mich know?"

"No she doesn't. We'll have to find the right time to tell her, one thing I do know is that it will affect her and at the moment, I'm a little worried about the timing."

Horatio nodded, he understood how Derek felt, both knew that Mich was not happy about having to work for MI5 again and that she was walking a very fine line. Neither of them wanted to pass on the news that could push her stress level over the edge.

Horatio himself had personal concerns, Mich was a major part of his life and he could not imagine a future without her at his side, yet he could not put aside what she had admitted to him a few years before, that she still had feelings for Robert.

If they met up, would she deny those feelings and stay with him, or would she be drawn back to Robert? Even though Derek had requested American citizenship for her and Kyra, Horatio knew that she missed her homeland greatly. Would Robert being free be the excuse she needed to return to the UK for good?

Horatio had a very restless night.

&&&

The following morning Mich woke up tired, she hadn't been able to sleep at all well. Although she was used to Horatio occasionally working through the night to get a case moving, it was as if her subconscious knew he was not just a few miles down the road.

As she got breakfast ready, she waved to Nicky who she could see arriving. Quickly he joined her in the kitchen to see if she needed anything.

"You ok Mich?"

She smiled, "Yeah, but I didn't sleep that well, I feel like I walked into a brick wall."

Nicky gave her a hug, "Missing him already? "

"Does it show that much?"

Nicky chuckled, "Yesterday you were ready to bite people's heads off."

"I was not…"

"You were in a grumpy mood from the moment you arrived back from the airport Mich. It's obvious to everyone that you're missing H.'

Mich sighed, "I never realised how much I need him around me, I feel… I don't know, like a part of me is lost."

Nicky chuckled, "Now do I get to tease you like you used to tease me about Mike?"

Mich laughed, feeling a lot better than when she woke up, "No, I'm still your boss, teasing is not allowed…"

"Never stops Eric, Calleigh and the team from teasing H occasionally…"

"That's different. They can't get sacked for it." Nicky threw up his arms in mock horror,

"You wouldn't do that to me would you?'

Mich's eyes twinkled; Nicky had certainly cheered her up this morning, something that she had missed when he moved out of the flat at the barn, and into Mike's apartment.

"Well, maybe not… I need you to help Kate while I'm away. Talking of the team, I need to go to the PD this morning; will you cover the ten-thirty ride for me, just in case I don't get back?"

Nicky nodded, "Trouble?"

"No… I just want to say hi to an old friend."

&&&

Horatio chuckled, living with Mich had enhanced his own dry sense of humour, so the story that Jo was telling him at the moment appealed to him intensely. John the AV tech was already working on something in his lab, and Mike the ballistics expert was checking through some files.

Jo herself was the DNA/fingerprint specialist, while Frank worked Trace. He was also somewhat of a specialist on the drug cartels, and would often work other evidence on any cases brought in by the drug squad. Sam Ryan, the pathologist, would often work with both Jo and Frank on specific cases, using her medical training to back them up.

Watching Frank at work, Horatio sensed the discipline in the man's mind, as if he was afraid to lose control… The thought chilled him for a moment, but he did not know why. His instinct screamed at him, that Frank was hiding something, but he could not figure it out.

"Penny for your thoughts H," Jo looked up at him, a twinkle in her eyes. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"You've filled me in on everyone else, I just wondered what Frank's story is…"

Jo smiled, "I don't really know Frank that well, I understand that he worked very closely with the drug squad and customs and excise before coming here. He was the last team member to come on board and there was something strange about it. There were other people more qualified, but he got the job."

H nodded his head, deciding that he would need to watch Frank closely for a few days, just to see if he could find out what made the man send his senses into overdrive…

&&&&

Mich walked into the PD, saying hi to Paula. Finding out that the team were having a quick break, she made her way slowly to the small coffee bar.

She heard the voice before she saw its owner and smiled to herself, he was certainly drawing his audience in…

"So when I was offered the chance to come over and work with you guys, I jumped at it." The softness and lilt made her heart ache for the mountains of her birth, but Miami was her home now…

"The techniques that you use and the procedures to follow are similar to ours, but I can't wait to see how you do things here, I have a lot to learn."

Mich chuckled, "and if you believe everything that silver tongued rogue tells you, you'll find yourself in trouble."

The person talking froze, before letting out an incredulous chuckle, "Mich… I should have known you would be around somewhere."

Turning around, Detective Rhys Williams grinned and grabbed Mich by the waist, pulling her in for a kiss…

&&&

Calleigh was stunned, she knew that this attractive thirty-something detective was Horatio's exchange officer, and was not surprised that he and Mich knew each other, but his reaction to Mich's arrival was totally unexpected.

Glancing at Eric, Ryan and Natalia, she could tell that they were equally as stunned as she was. What the hell was going on?

"RHYS… PUT ME DOWN! Damn idiot." Mich was chuckling, but her face was flushed a deep shade of pink, "Dear Lord, if Horatio was here, I'd be in serious trouble, now stop it…"

"So I still can't persuade you to run away with me…"

Eric was the first to recover, roaring with laughter, he realised that Mich and Rhys must have been old friends. Mich's colour deepened, Ryan began to chuckle, and Calleigh and Natalia began to smile.

"I take it you two have some history?"

Allowing Mich to return to her feet, Rhys nodded, "From way back, childhood sweethearts from the age of four…"

Mich gave him a playful punch, "Yeah and you never grew up did you boyo." Calleigh chuckled, Mich always had a slight lilt to her accent, a sign of her Welsh ancestry, which had started to disappear now she'd been living in Miami for several years, but with a compatriot standing next to her, it was back in full force.

Rhys sighed, "Would it have made a difference?"

Mich gave him a tender look, "No… But you know that…" For a moment, the team were aware that there must have been something between the two of them that had come to an abrupt end, but now was not the time to ask.

Eric was about to say something, when Frank walked in, "Got a call out in the Gables, kid came home from school and found the next door neighbour dead in his parents kitchen."

Calleigh nodded, "Ok Eric, you run with this one – and take our new friend with you, he might as well get started."

Mich chuckled, "Nice move Cal, drop him in at the deep end…"

Rhys gave her a challenging look, "Nothing new for you… Love you too sweetheart." Picking up his jacket which had been hanging over the back of a chair, he turned and followed Eric out of the room.

&&&

Calleigh raised an eyebrow and led Mich to H's office – which for the next ten weeks would be hers, "Ok, spill the beans…"

Mich smiled shyly, "Oh Rhys and I go way back…"

"Childhood sweethearts from what he said."

Mich nodded, "Sort of, we went to school together until the age of ten, but then I moved away. Strangely enough, we ended up in the same university, studying the same subject. Then we joined the academy together."

Calleigh's eyes widened, "So you two…"

Mich blushed slightly, "Oh yes… We were together for five years, I'm sure he'll be full of wonderful tales about me while I'm away, some of them will be true, some not, but I hope you'll be able to spot the difference."

Sitting down on the chair Mich sighed, "If I'd just stuck with the regular job, I guess we would probably still be together, but I started working undercover, which he didn't like, and when I changed my job… Well, it was the last straw for him."

Calleigh smiled, "I'm surprised you are still on good terms."

Mich chuckled, "Oh at first we weren't, he could barely speak to me, and just seeing him would start my temper off, but over time he began to accept my choice. By then of course it was too late to patch things up, but in some ways I'm glad – we're more like a brother and sister than partners. We always brought out the best in each other, but we could also bring out the worst too."

"So, what can I look forward to?"

Mich grinned, "Oh, Rhys is one of the best detectives Scotland Yard has to offer, so when it comes to the case, he'll get down and dirty just as much as anyone else. Has a habit of following hunches too, so don't be surprised if he comes up with strange questions."

"So, he'll be good for the team?"

Mich nodded, "He'll be very easy to work with, and keep everyone in good spirits, but he might just get to you a little until you get used to him… Listen, how about you bring him over to the barn later – join me for dinner, ask the others too, with H away, I'm getting a little bored in the evenings."

Calleigh nodded as Mich stood up to leave, "Sounds great, I'll pass on the message." Watching Mich walk away, she smiled to herself, "bored Mich? No, lonely, I know how you feel…" She had no idea that things were about to change.

&&&

Arriving home, Mich could hear the telephone ringing in the house, and had to run quickly to catch it, "Hello?"

"Hi sweetheart… Everything ok?"

Mich smiled, "It is now…" Smiling, she told H that Rhys seemed to be settling in pretty quickly. They traded a few words before H surprised her with a comment.

"You didn't tell me about the policemen's ball."

"I know, I didn't think they did it anymore, are you telling me that we'll have to go?"

"Oh yes, your dad insisted, so you'd better send my tux over with the girls on Friday, and bring something of yours too, maybe the white dress you wore last summer to the mayor's ball…"

Mich chuckled, she knew why H had asked her to bring that one… A few words more, and H had to hang up, he was still on work time.

Smiling to himself, he couldn't wait until she arrived; he had deliberately not spoken about where they would be living. He would be able to tease her for a while if he played his cards right, the results were always interesting…


	23. Chapter 23

Mich lounged back on the sofa chuckling at Calleigh's reaction to Rhys' last comment. The group of friends had eaten with Kyra and Amber, and now the two of them had gone to bed, the adults could talk more openly.

Ryan and Natalia were curled up on another sofa, while Eric had grabbed the armchair, Kate sitting on the floor in front of him, eyes closed while Eric massaged her shoulders. Checking the time, Eric sighed and whispered into his wife's ear, Kate nodded and began to get up.

"Sorry Mich, but we really need to get going, see you tomorrow." Ryan and Natalia also made their excuses and the four of them left together. Mich saw them out and returned to her place, noting with a smile that Rhys and Calleigh were picking apart some topic or other.

Calleigh was challenging Rhys on his knowledge of firearms, and Mich chuckled as Rhys tried to impress Calleigh with his knowledge.

"Something you want to say, Mich?"

Shaking her head, Mich continued to chuckle, "I'm just wondering how big a shovel you need…"

As Calleigh gave Mich a curious look, Rhys' eyes narrowed, "What's that supposed to mean…"

"Well, you know, bigger shovel, bigger hole to jump into…"

Rhys gave her a nasty look, before turning back to Calleigh, who was trying not to laugh… "Oh this is not fair; you girls are ganging up on me… Let me guess, I've been trying to impress a ballistics expert…"

Mich laughed, "MDPD's one and only 'Bullet girl'."

Rhys groaned and collapsed back on the sofa, "Well thank God you stopped me before I made too much of a fool of myself."

"Always there to help you out bach…"

Rhys ruefully shook his head, "You would think I wouldn't need it at my age…"

As the playful exchange continued, Calleigh watched, a slightly amused look on her face – Mich and Rhys were relaxed enough in her company to let some interesting titbits pass between them.

That they must have been lovers at some point was easy to notice, but occasionally she caught some bitterness from Rhys, as if something had happened that he seriously regretted, and now realised he could never undo. As she watched hem, she also became aware how protective Rhys was of Mich – so much so that he reminded her of H.

"So, where are you staying Rhys?" Mentioning some hotel on Ocean, Mich smiled and nodded, it was just like Rhys to book into somewhere with plenty of life.

"I would really like to find an apartment in a quieter area though…"

Mich grinned and had an idea…

"Stay here?" Rhys was surprised at Mich's offer.

"Why not, I'll only be here for a few more days, and then I'll be off, you can house-sit for me. Better than closing it up for over two months and it's not that far from the lab."

Rhys nodded, the move made sense, but he was still wary. "Will Lieutenant Caine be ok with this?"

Mich raised an eyebrow, "Should he be concerned?"

Rhys shook his head, "No, it's just, well…"

Mich chuckled for a moment, when she began to speak, the softness in her voice almost made Calleigh cry as she finally could see how much Mich loved H, "Horatio and I understand and trust each other Rhys, I have no doubt that he would be ok with this, unless of course you have something of an ulterior motive."

Rhys smiled, "well if you're sure he wouldn't mind, I'd love to stay here. It's perfect…" Finishing off his beer, he arranged to bring his things over the following day, before asking Calleigh to drop him off at his hotel.

Closing the door behind them , Mich chuckled to herself, someone had caught Rhys' attention, and he certainly wasn't going to let go…

&&&

Horatio sighed; the team had been out most of the day, collecting information on a rape/murder that had been reported that morning. This particular week, H had chosen to watch them at a distance, seeing the differences between how the two teams worked. By the end of the day, H couldn't decide who had the tougher job…

He had been closely watching each team member and had come to the conclusion that each were highly trained in their own field, but their experience in other fields was minimal, almost on a need to know basis. Sighing to himself, he knew that for the integration to work better, their knowledge of each others fields would need to improve. Thinking about what he could do to start things off, he realised that he would first need to speak to Derek.

The whole team worked well together, their characters complimenting each other. Yet still Frank Robertson gave him an uneasy feeling. At lunchtime, they had taken a break and been talking about their families. Sam had asked if he had any recent photographs of Mich, "so we'll recognise her when she comes over…"

H had handed out the couple he had in his wallet, one of Mich alone, but another of her with the two girls. They had been passed around the team and each one had commented on Kyra and Amber.

Sam and Jo especially were entranced by Kyra, having known her as a baby and small child, they both remarked on how she had grown up. Smiling to himself, Horatio had noticed Frank's eyes linger on the picture of Mich and the girls.

H had been about to say something when he caught a glimpse emotions crossing Frank's face. It confused him for a moment so he said nothing – the emotion had been a mixture of love, bitterness and hope…

"So Horatio, will you and Mich be at the Policeman's Ball on Saturday?"

Horatio gave Frank a rueful smile and nodded, "I'm afraid so, Derek has quite clearly stated that he wants me there. Thankfully Mich is arriving tomorrow, so I won't be alone, I hate these damn functions."

Frank chuckled, surprising Horatio, "You and me both, at least I can hide in the background. You have a beautiful woman to show off…"

Horatio gave Frank a startled glance, this was not what he expected from a stranger. Looking at the other man more closely, he realised that his hunch was right, there was more to him than met the eye. Suddenly an idea popped into his mind…

"You know Mich don't you?"

Frank nodded, "I knew Mich very well Horatio, we worked together a long time ago. She's a pretty special lady."

"Is that part of the reason why you're on this team?"

Frank chuckled, "Nothing gets by you does it. Actually, I earned my place on the team, just as much as anyone else, and I'll remain with the team when you return to Miami. However, I am here to help you on another matter which will become clearer at a later date."

Looking more closely at him , Horatio was a little taken aback by the honesty he now saw in the man's face, yet as he looked, he saw the mask slide down into position as Frank turned and walked away.

Horatio couldn't help but feel more confused, what the hell was going on?

&&&

Mich walked around the barn slowly, checking everything was ok. The girls were asleep and it was her last check of the day before going to bed. Leaning on Knight's door, she jumped as an arm snaked around her waist.

"For goodness sake Rhys, don't do that…"

Delivering a kiss to the back of her hand, Rhys drew Mich outside to a bench near the door.

"Ten years ago, you would have picked me up and sent me flying… Are you up for this job Mich?"

Mich looked Rhys in the eye and sighed, they had been through too much as an undercover team for her to hide from him. "To be honest, I really don't know and it scares me…"

Rhys nodded, "Well at least you're not going in with your confidence over the top." He paused, "I spoke to your father before I came over…"

Mich nodded, "I caught the hint, 'Childhood sweethearts' indeed. We haven't used that code in… my god… fifteen years."

Rhys chuckled and gave her a hug, "It was the only one I could think of that wouldn't sound out of place at the time, but I knew you would understand. Mich, your dad sent me with a warning."

Mich felt a chill go down her spine, she had at first been surprised that Rhys was the officer coming over on the exchange, but now he was here, she understood why.

The two of them had worked closely together for a while, at the time she was still with the police, but soon joined MI5 at her father's request, after she had stumbled onto something bigger.

After completing several '5' missions overseas, she had come back to the UK to work in the fight against the Cartels. She had met up with Rhys again, who was now working undercover with Customs and Excise.

Rhys was one of the few people who knew who she really was, and who she and her father trusted completely, which was no surprise when you found out that he was her cousin…

"So has dad roped you in to work for '5'?"

Rhys chuckled, "Quite the opposite, my part in the exchange is actually genuine, and it's given me an excuse to get out of C&E… I don't like the way things are going over there – I want to get back into proper policing again. Your dad asked me for my help."

Slowly Rhys began to explain. How Mich's father was troubled by a 'leak' in information at the highest level, and his reaction to his own name being part of the leak.

"At first your father thought someone was out to get him moved from his position, but then he realised that it was to make waves, to frighten the people higher up."

Mich nodded, "Does he know where the leak came from?"

Rhys shook his head, "That's the strange thing – from the phrasing in the letter that gave his name, we were able to isolate it to one particular group. Fortunately, I knew who the group were – they're really nothing more than a street gang who supply drugs in a particular area."

He explained how he had managed to infiltrate the group and carefully collect all the information I could. "Mich, the group knew nothing about your father – nor any letter. Someone used them to draw attention to the message, but they had nothing to do with it."

"Someone is hiding something, I started to dig deeper and nearly got caught a couple of times, but still I came up empty handed. Whoever leaked your dad's name is not in the lower levels of the organisation."

Mich looked at Rhys in confusion… If he had already worked through the lower levels… She voiced the question in her head and became concerned when Rhys shrugged his shoulders.

"Your father and I could not trace the source, but around the same time I drew a blank, your name began being mentioned in high places… Your father started getting worried; he couldn't work out why people were talking about bringing you back. Then the Columbia connection appeared."

"We tracked down everything we could and found nothing. We talked to everyone we could, but still nothing. Finally we spoke to an old friend…"

Mich swallowed, she knew who Rhys was talking about, "And?"

"Mich, he told us that the Columbians would never use the athletes to bring stuff through, they are watched too closely – not only that, the Columbian athletes coming to the games represent their country, but don't actually live there – most of them live in the US…"

"So why?"

Rhys sighed, "Mich, your dad now knows that the leak is at the highest level – someone gave out your dad's name on purpose, and for only one reason…" Grabbing hold of her hand, Rhys scared Mich with the look on his face.

"Mich, the only thing that we can figure out, is that the leak was engineered – to get you back to the UK."

Mich was confused; everything Rhys had said was going through her mind… Slowly she sifted it, asking Rhys questions to clarify details that she may have missed, or misunderstood. Soon she came to a single conclusion, and she didn't like it… Not one bit.

"Someone is coming after me, but why?"

Rhys shook his head, his concern showing in his face, "I really don't know Mich and your dad can't work it out either. He's been through the old case files of the work you did in the UK. Not one of those cases can link the work that was done, to you personally."

"That says that someone is on the inside – someone who knew who I was and what I did." Mich paused, turning pale. "Dear God Rhys, this means…"

Rhys nodded, "This means that it comes from the top. That's why your dad wanted me to warn you… Work through the mission brief that you've been given to avoid suspicion, but we think you'll find nothing. It's all a cover story – maybe just to get you back working for '5', we are very short of agents. One thing is for sure, you can't trust anyone when you go home."

Mich chuckled, "That's where you are wrong Rhys, I can trust my father, though I will have to be very careful how I speak to him and what I say."

Rhys sighed, "I meant apart from your father…"

Mich patted him on the shoulder, "and you're still wrong… I can trust Horatio."


	24. Chapter 24

Mich was going insane. At the last minute Amber had realised that she had forgotten her favourite teddy bear and was crying her eyes out. Fortunately, the stable was quiet and Nicky had gone to her room and brought it to the airport for her.

"You're lucky we don't live so far from Miami International sweetie," Mich had given her youngest a big hug, before sending her down the walkway with Kyra. The two girls were flying on a morning flight, and would be met by Horatio at the other end.

Mich's nerves were already frazzled, the alarm had woken her at 4 am so she had time to get ready – the girls were awake an hour later demanding breakfast. As they turned to wave, she smiled and wave back as Nicky closed his arms around her, giving her the hug she needed.

"Thanks Nic… I know I'll be seeing them later this evening, but it still feels weird. As if I'm sending them away."

Nicky chuckled, "You horrible mother you…" Mich laughed and playfully punched him on the shoulder.

"You're no help."

"At least you'll be seeing Horatio this evening too, with the weekend coming up, the two of you should be able to relax a little."

Mich smiled, "That was the reason why I wanted to fly on a Friday, I can use the weekend to recover from the jet-lag, and the horses will be more settled. Let's get back to the barn… I'm leaving in four hours."

Derek couldn't help but chuckle to himself, Horatio had been on pins all morning, and now it was finally lunchtime, he couldn't wait to get to the airport. Jumping into the Discovery next to him, H had started tapping his fingers on the armrest.

"In a hurry Horatio?"

H laughed, "Sorry Derek, but I can't wait to see the girls, I know it's only been a few days, but it's been surprising how much I've missed them."

"And Mich?" Derek laughed at the slight flush that came to H's cheeks.

"We've never been apart for more than a working day and after what I've been through recently…" H broke off, saying nothing. Derek gave him a sideways glance, he knew H had been under a great deal of stress lately, and had been surprised how relaxed H had been this first week.

He had correctly guessed that Mich had obviously helped him with something, though would not ask about the details, that was between his daughter and her partner, but one thing he could see was that H's feelings for Mich were stronger than ever.

Derek allowed H his silence, seeing that he had become thoughtful. Driving to the airport, the older man glanced his way a few times, smiling to himself. Whatever had happened would probably have affected Mich too and hopefully in a positive way.

Sighing, he hoped that H would be able to cope with the information that Rhys had uncovered. Mich had called him to say that she knew about the warning, and that she would speak about it to Horatio herself.

Derek hoped H would not react too badly.

&&&

Horatio glanced back and for at the passengers coming out of the arrivals lounge and asked himself why there were so many flights coming in together. There were a lot of children, and he could hear excited voices everywhere. He began to get a little concerned when he couldn't spot 'his' two girls.

Amber had no such problem. Though Horatio's height at six foot did not mark him out in the crowd, his red hair did, "DADDY…. Over here…" Kyra raised her eyes skyward, but she was just as pleased to see H as her little sister was. Snaking through the crowd, she arrived at the meeting point to find her little sister clinging to her father's leg like a limpet.

H pulled Kyra close for a hug, "So did you have a good flight?"

Kyra nodded, "Not too bad, though it was a bit noisy – there were so many kids on board…" H raised his eyebrows at Kyra's statement, and the two of them burst out laughing.

"So, what's the house like?"

Horatio chuckled, "Wait and see… Come on your grand-dad's waiting outside to take us there, your mum will be landing in four hours, and I promised to meet her at the riding centre where she'll be training with the team."

"Grand-dad's here?" The grin on Kyra's face was reflected on H's own, he was glad to see them. Amber led the way, while H pushed the airport trolley with the luggage on board.

"So, was your mum ok?"

Kyra gave him a sideways glance, "Well she was a bit stressed the first day, but then when Uncle Rhys moved in she started to relax a bit. Everyone has been walking on eggshells this week though, careful not to make her mad, she's been a little touchy."

Giving H a sly look, she chuckled, "Anyone would think she missed you…"

Horatio was startled by Kyra's comment and was about to say something, when the fifteen year old spotted Derek and ran to him, "Grand-dad, how are you."

H narrowed his eyes, Kyra was growing up just a little too quickly for his liking – and the way things were going, had far too much of her mother's character… He began to chuckle to himself, the next few weeks were going to be interesting, from what he had seen, Kyra had already turned a few heads. He hoped he would be able to keep up…

&&&

Amber and Kyra were entranced by the countryside, commenting on some scene or other. Amber, her nose pressed up against the window of the car was fascinated by her new home, though Kyra grumbled that it was much colder than she remembered.

"I should have packed a few more sweaters, though I suppose I can get some more when we settle in."

H had chuckled, he himself had felt the cold too, and had taken to wearing his long coat in to the Yard, though during the day he didn't need it. Jo had seen him one morning and given him a flattering comment that made him blush slightly, and she had used the incident to tease him slightly ever since.

It wasn't long before they were in the village, Kyra gasping as she suddenly remembered where they were. Though she had been only seven years old when she and Mich left the UK, she certainly remembered the hall.

"We're staying with Great-Gran?"

Derek laughed, "Not quite princess, you're staying in the Lodge, but your gran wants to see you over the weekend, so don't go making any plans…"

"Does mum know we're staying here?"

H chuckled, "No, she doesn't, so you two have to keep it a secret until we get here, promise."

The girls grinned, "Promise," and then began to chuckle, at the thought of surprising their mum.

Arriving at the house, Kyra was thrilled to find 'her' room almost as she had left it, but gave it to her younger sister, when Amber described the 'Forever Friends' wallpaper as 'cute' and remarked to Horatio that she really MUST have some when they arrived at home…

Kyra took her things into the slightly smaller bedroom alongside. H was curious, normally Kyra would have fought for the bigger room.

"Are you sure you're ok with this one?"

Kyra blushed, and admitted to wanting this room all along, "That's why I showed the other room to Amber first, I knew she would like the wallpaper, I prefer this room, you have a better view and I can see down the road."

Allowing the girls a little time to sort themselves out, he and Derek quickly made lunch and then called the girls to eat. "Sorry it's only sandwiches girls, but we have to leave to pick your mum up soon.

After lunch, Derek excused himself and headed back to London while H led the girls to the Discovery that would be theirs to use for the remainder of the stay. Strapping in, he turned on the engine and headed off in the direction of Cirencester.

&&&

A little under an hour later, Horatio found himself on the A419 from Cirencester, looking for directions to the small village of Minchimhampton. From there, he would find himself heading towards Gatcombe Park, home of Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and the Olympic training base of the British Eventing team.

Kyra looked about her with interest; in this area of the UK were many of the riding centres that spawned British eventing at its best. The Princess Royal still took a keen interest in the sport, having been a former Olympic Champion herself, and passing on the knowledge and will to win in daughter Zara, who had won the World championships in 2007.

A few minutes later, Horatio found what he was looking for and smiled – it had taken him a couple of days to get used to driving on the left hand side of the road, but the Brits at least knew how to signpost things properly.

As he drove in through the gates, he could hear Kyra exclaiming about the cross country fences she could see, saying how she wished she would be able to compete there. H chucked, "Well, work hard at your riding, and who knows, you may be selected to come over here to represent the US."

Kyra pulled a face at him, "I'd be better off asking mum if I could come here for the summer to train – getting into the US team is really difficult."

Glancing around, H was a little uncertain of which way to go, when he spotted someone walking towards him. Winding down the window, he recognised the face of Roger Chatterton-Smythe, the British team coach.

"Good afternoon, can I help you?"

Explaining who he was, Horatio asked for directions to the stables. "We're picking Mich up, she said should be in around now." Chatterton-Smythe nodded and with a sneer directed them toward the stables.

Kyra frowned, "Did you see the look on his face dad, he didn't look very happy when he found out who we were."

Horatio nodded, "Your mum was afraid of that. She thinks that there might be some resentment about her being on the team, because she is based in Miami, not here. Don't you worry about it though, leave that to your mum."

Driving into the yard, Horatio parked near a couple of other cars and stepped out. Two riders made their way over to him, smiles on their faces. "Hi, you must be Horatio, Mich's partner; we got word that you were going to meet her here."

Seeing the surprise on H's face, the two riders chuckled when they heard about the coach's greeting. The taller of the two introduced himself as James Walker, "Don't worry about Roger; he's not happy because Mich was selected over one of his own favourites. We know how good she is, I just hope she can take the hassle he's going to give her."

Kyra chuckled, "I hope he's good at protecting himself, mum has a habit of fighting back…"

James and William gave them a tour of the stables, showing Kyra where everything was so she could begin to get things ready for the arrival of Dream and Knight. The two horses were stabled next to William's horse, and his groom, Kathy, was soon telling Kyra stories.

Amber had also found a friend – James had a son the same age and soon the two of them were firm friends. Running around the yard and throwing a ball for James' Jack Russell terrier, named Spot.

Horatio felt a little anxious, left with nothing to do but wait, he walked down to the all weather arena to watch the other two members Julia Phillips and Katrina Jackson training.

He had been watching them for about fifteen minutes, when he heard a shout go up from the yard. Turning around, he grinned and started to walk back to the stables when he saw the large horse transport coming along the road.

He arrived at the yard at the same time as Mich jumped out of the cab, but hung back, knowing her first priority would be to get the horses settled. Faces appeared from everywhere, and people came running out to help.

H was stunned how riders and grooms came out to greet the last arrival and help to get Mich settled. Smiling, he noticed how the team was already working together – and knew this would be the key to a successful Olympic Games for them.

Mich was tired, the flight had been largely uneventful, Dream had spooked a little on take-off and landing, but a few quiet words were enough to calm him down, though he spent most of the flight a little wild eyed.

Giving Kyra and Amber a hug, she spotted Horatio watching quietly, a soft smile on his face. As she looked, he gave her a short nod and moved next to the paddock fence, indicating that he would wait.

With everyone helping, Mich's section of the stable was ready to work in only a few minutes, and she asked Kyra and Amber to take the horses for a walk to stretch their legs after the journey.

"Give them ten minutes before you put them inside their stables." Seeing everyone going about their own business, she quickly checked things over before making her way to where H was leaning against the fence.

As she approached, she noticed how relaxed he looked and smiled shyly, "Hello stranger, long time no see…"

Horatio chuckled; pulling her into his arms he gave her a hug, "I've missed you…" Looking up, Mich was startled as Horatio dropped his lips to hers, giving her a deep kiss which he normally reserved for a much more private location.

Hearing a couple of whistles from the nearby riders and grooms, Mich flushed and shyly snuggled under H's arm, "What was that all about?"

"Just a starter for later…"

Mich chuckled; it seemed the change of scenery was certainly helping Horatio.


	25. Chapter 25

Mich carefully watched as Amber and Kyra led Knight and Dream down the road, allowing them to snatch a little grass while they looked around. As she watched, a pair of arms snaked around her waist causing her to smile.

"Are you ok?"

Horatio chuckled, "Why shouldn't I be?"

Mich gave him a curious look, "because you would never do this at home…"

H grinned and pulled her closer, "Because back home, you know I have to watch what I'm doing. Here… I can do almost what I want, is it a problem?"

Turning around to look him in the eye, Mich gave a shy smile, "It's no problem for me, so you're not going to mind if I…" Anticipating where she was going, H dropped another kiss on Mich's lips, feeling her lean into him, hands moving to encircle his neck.

Releasing her, H smiled at the delight in her eyes, at not having to hide her feelings anymore and began to chuckle as her smile grew bigger. "Just don't do it while I'm working ok…"

His answer was a soft, tender kiss that Mich reserved for their most private moments, which generated another comment from the stable yard.

"Can't you two put each other down for a minute?" Mich blushed and grinned at William, she knew him from when they had competed against each other at Junior level, and they had been friends for a while.

"Just catching up William. Anything wrong with that?"

"Not from my side, but if the coach catches you, you will be sorry." Mich sighed and admitted that he had a point. The other riders had warned her that Chatterton-Smythe had not been happy about her selection, and she knew she was going to have to be better than everyone else just be 'adequate' in his eyes.

Calling Amber and Kyra back to the yard, they put the horses into their stables just as the coach came around the corner. Walking up to Horatio, Mich gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the arrogance in the man's voice.

"So, I take it you are Lieutenant Caine? Good, I just want to make it perfectly clear that while I don't object to family coming to the yard and watching training, I will not tolerate any interference."

Horatio gave a soft smile and raised an eyebrow, "Quite right Mr Chatterton-Smythe, you have a team to train. I will endeavour to make myself as imperceptible as possible so as not to affect your programme. However, I will add that I won't be here except on weekends, I do have my own work to do."

Mich and William traded glances, both trying not to laugh at Horatio's quiet answer, which caused the British team coach to hesitate for a moment. Turning his attention to Mich, he handed her a sheet of paper.

"This is the schedule for the next three weeks, we will allow your horses the weekend to rest, and settle in, but by the end of the third week, both of your horses must be up to scratch." Mich nodded and studied the timetable – smiling, she noticed that it was slightly less intensive than what she had been doing at home on the riding side, but there was also a lot of discussion work.

Video's would be taken of the training sessions and faults and mistakes pointed out, to help the riders improve their technique. There were also a couple of sessions where the riders would switch horses to sharpen them up. This concerned Mich a little because she knew how temperamental Dream could be with new riders, but said nothing.

Looking up, she smiled, "Thank you sir, I'm looking forward to it."

Arranging with Kathy to give her horses their evening feed so she would not need to return, Mich began to relax. As she walked to the Discovery with Horatio, her stomach began to rumble.

H chuckled, "Hungry?"

Mich nodded, "I'm starving, there's a country pub nearby that does excellent food, well it did ten years ago… Shall we?"

Horatio smiled, a twinkle in his eye, "Of course Milady, your carriage awaits…" Opening the passenger door for her, he gave a slight bow as she got in and sat down." Walking around to the driver's side, he caught Mich giving him a puzzled look.

As he sat down and put on his seatbelt, Mich gave him a curious look, "Are you sure you're ok?"

H chuckled, "Never been better…"

For the next twenty minutes, Mich listened as Amber and Kyra spoke about the house where they were staying, but her gaze kept returning to H. Noticing the twinkle in his eyes, and the amused slant to his lips, she knew he was up to something.

Pulling in at the pub that Mich remembered, Mich laughed as the girls jumped out excitedly and ran in front of them, while H helped her step out of the car.

"OK… What's going on?" Horatio started laughing and shook his head, saying that she was imagining things. Looking at him, Mich began to smile and refused to go any further until till he told her what was going on.

"Horatio Caine, you are up to something, and I am not moving from here until you tell me what it is."

Pinning her against the car, H whispered in her ear, "Then you're going to get hungry standing here all alone." As he turned to walk away, Mich grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

H used the move to deliver another kiss which he knew would get Mich moving. Chuckling at the look on her face, as the shiver passed down her spine he knew that tonight was going to be interesting…

"Horatio… You are holding out on me, now what are you up to?"

H laughed, "You're saying I'm holding out on you. How long have you been holding out on me? Kerys…"

She stared at him. "How did you?" Her voice soft and quiet, Mich dropped her head and turned away, when she spoke, Horatio was stunned to hear the bitterness in her voice "Dad's put us up in the Lodge hasn't he, I wish he hadn't."

Horatio quickly caught Mich into his arms and pulled her close, "Mich, what's wrong. Why didn't you tell me about?"

"Because I didn't want you to know H, I earned people's respect and got where I am by proving myself, not by using my family name." The bitterness in her voice confused Horatio, he hadn't realised his teasing would upset her this much.

"Mich, sweetheart, I'm sorry, I wouldn't have started teasing if had known it hurt you this much."

Looking up at him, she gave a half smile, "It's not your fault Horatio, I should have guessed dad would put us up in the Lodge. I'll tell you the full story later, I promise, when the girls have gone to bed."

Nodding his head, H gave her a hug, "Ok, I can wait." Mich grinned and gave him a quick kiss.

"So… did you meet Gran yet?"

"The first day I arrived, and I've had dinner with her most of the week…"

Mich chuckled, "Oh boy, I bet she's been telling you some stories."

Horatio laughed, leading Mich towards the door of the pub, his arm around her shoulders, he whispered in her ear, "Plenty… You know, you were so cute and adorable as a kid."

Mich flushed with embarrassment, "Don't tell me she got out the photo albums…" Looking back at him she rolled her eyes, "She did, didn't she."

Horatio twitched an eyebrow, making her laugh, "One of my favourites was of you sitting on a white pony, with pigtails in your hair…" Mich's eyes opened wide, and she chuckled.

"Oh my God, I was what… about six when that was taken. I remember Grand-dad being so happy – it was the first time I won at jumping."

She continued to chuckle when H whispered in her ear, "How come you don't wear your hair like that anymore? It is so cute…"

Giving him a startled look, she saw the glint in his eye and an amused expression crossed her face. "Maybe I will again, just for you…"

A wicked chuckle came from H as they joined the girls at the table, leaning over so the girls wouldn't hear what he said, he made Mich blush once more, "Is that a promise? I'm looking forward to it."

&&&&&

As they entered the village near the Hall, Mich became quiet. Returning to the lodge was a bittersweet moment, had been after her mum had died, but her grand-dad had helped a lot, however he too was now gone…

She had so many memories of this place, some good some bad, but as Horatio turned in through the gate, she couldn't help but smile softly. This was her home as a teenager, the place where she'd grown up under the protection of her grandparents while her father was away, her sanctuary in between '5' missions.

Going into the Lodge, Mich was stunned to see that it had hardly changed from what she remembered. Amber was tired, and though it was only early in the evening, Mich suggested that she had a bath and then went to bed.

"We've an early start in the morning sweetie, its better if you rest now." Asking Kyra to stay with her sister, Mich caught H's hand and suggested going for a walk. Kyra nodded, giving her a wink.

"No problem mum, I'll surf the net for a bit, but I think I'll get an early night too."

Leading H out of the door, Mich snuggled under his arm and directed him along a small path that ran next to the stream. "This leads to one of my favourite places on the estate."

Walking slowly, they came to a small bridge, where Mich climbed onto the wall and sat staring into the water. Seeing the look on her face, H put his arms around her waist, letting her know that he was there for her.

"Grand-dad and I used to play Pooh-sticks here… He always said that I won, even if his stick came through first." Her voice was quiet and H began to see that she was having trouble starting off her story.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Mich nodded, "Mum and Dad met at university in Cardiff… Mum lived in Blackwood and had gone to school there, Dad had been at boarding school – Gordonston in Scotland. He used to spend the free weekends and most of the school holidays with my Great-grandparents who lived near Inverness…" She moved on, telling H how her parents had fallen in love and got married within six months of meeting. "Apparently Gran was furious at the time, but after she met mum, she changed her mind."

Mich explained that the Countess had asked for her parents to move into the Hall, but that they had both refused, wanting to make their own way in life. "Gran was quite happy about that, as long as they came to visit on weekends, which mum was quite happy to do."

Horatio nodded his head, but couldn't understand Mich's bitterness, "So what went wrong?"

"Dad started working undercover for the local police in Cardiff after his first few years of training and got noticed for the work he was doing, mum was really proud of him – he was making a difference. Around the same time, some people found out that we were part of an aristocratic family and started to get very friendly with Mum, Dad didn't like them, said that they only wanted to be with us because of who we were."

"I loved where we lived, but soon we had to move, because mum decided she wanted to get into the 'social scene', and use the family name to do good things. She was full of good intentions and in the beginning it paid off, she would lend a hand at charities helping to raise money for all sorts of things and I used to go with her."

"In time, she became something of a local celebrity and people said a lot of good things about her, but unfortunately, it didn't help dad. He was followed home one night by some gang member and they found out where we lived, I was about seven at the time. Then the threats started coming…"

H closed his eyes, now partly understanding why Mich hated the title she had been born with, though she loved her family. Mich however had not finished her story.

"Dad was able to expose the whole gang and most of them were sent down, but you know how it is. Word spreads, and dad's cover was blown, that was when he was approached to go and work for MI5. He agreed straight away, knowing that he would have an excuse to get mum, my brother and I out of Wales."

"Everything was sold, and we came to live here. At first mum loved it – she used to help Gran out at local functions, working with the charities like she had before, but then she became lonely. All her friends were in Cardiff and she wanted to see them."

As Mich paused, H glanced at her face and spotted the tears beginning, he pulled her close, causing her to slide off the wall. For a moment, Mich said nothing, but H could feel the grief making her body shudder.

"She used to go to see them twice a month, for the weekend when dad wasn't here. Sometimes I used to go with her, sometimes I didn't. I was about ten the last time she went down, there was a competition the same day and I was taking part so I didn't go."

Tears were streaming down Mich's face and H held her tightly, sad that he had brought up such a bad memory, but now Mich was talking, she would not stop. She needed to get the bad feelings out of her system.

"We found out later that one of the gang members not sent to prison had been watching her. He was told what he had to do, and did it. Mum's car was found run off the road – she had died instantly. Dad got his revenge, but it didn't bring mum back. He has blamed himself ever since."

Horatio held Mich closely to his chest, saying nothing. He now understood why Mich had said nothing about her mother in all the time they had been together, the grief was just too strong. Yet, in helping him with his pain and grief over Marisol, Ray and Speed, Mich was now also able share her pain with him.

As her tears subsided, Horatio lifted Mich up to sit on the wall and gently used his thumb to wipe the tears away from her eyes. "We make a right pair; it's taken us five years to share our deepest pain with each other. Not very trusting are we…"

Mich gave a soft smile, "on the contrary, I think we do trust each other, but when one of us feels pain, so does the other, we just don't want to hurt each other more. Horatio, I know there are a lot of things I haven't told you, but it is so hard for me…"

Horatio nodded, "I understand sweetheart, you have been trained not to say anything – almost brainwashed by MI5 into keeping your secrets. I know you'll tell me when you feel comfortable, you know I'll always be here for you Mich, as you have said you will be there for me…"

Mich smiled, a tear sliding down her cheek as she realised that H understood her more than she had ever realised. She held him tightly, quoting a favourite Shania Twain song, "Forever and for always…"


	26. Chapter 26

Walking back to the Lodge, Mich tucked under Horatio's arm, still feeling a little sad as the grief of her mum's death remained in her mind. H paused by a small pool, "Is this where you used to fish for sticklebacks with your grand-dad?"

Mich smiled, knowing that H was trying to lighten her mood, "Yep, damn near fell in a couple of times too - especially in winter." H looked at her curiously and she began to chuckle, "We used to get our sledges and ride them down the hill, then one day my brother said that tin trays were faster, so we pinched a couple from the kitchen… The housekeeper went crazy, but grand-dad just laughed, until he saw us heading for the stream…"

H began to laugh, "I can imagine, did either of you get wet?"

"Not quite, but only because my brother rolled off, and grand-dad grabbed me just in time." Chuckling at the memory, Mich sighed, "Those were the good times, before we grew up and found out what dad did for a living."

"Where's your brother now?" H was curious, he knew Mich's brother was in the Armed Forces and was hoping to meet him one day.

"I don't really know, his battalion are sent all over the place. He was the one who followed grand-dad, first to Sandhurst, then to the Welsh Guards. Now he could be anywhere…"

"He changed battalion?"

Mich nodded, "Just after he helped me move to Miami, Dad gets a message from him occasionally to say that he's ok, but we can't contact him because he's always off doing something…"

Realisation dawned on Horatio, "He's Special Forces..."

Mich nodded, "Yeah, 'Who Dares Wins' and all that. I guess all the undercover and behind enemy lines stuff is in our blood. Grand-dad was SOE during the war, so I guess we should blame him."

"SOE?"

Mich chuckled, "Special Operations Executive, Grand-dad spoke French like a native from Lyon, was based there to help the resistance. I remember one summer we went there for a holiday – the older people greeted him like he was some kind of hero. The stories that we heard…"

H looked at Mich thoughtfully, she had never opened up about her family this much, but it was mainly because she had wanted to hide away her title, as well as keep away the pain. Now Horatio knew who she was, she was filling in the details that he had been missing for a long time.

"Boy, do I have some work to do…"

Mich gave him a puzzled look, "What are you talking about Horatio?"

"Well, your family must have one hell of a reputation in the secret world. How am I supposed to live up to that?" Seeing the glint in his eye, Mich realised he was teasing and turned the tables.

"How am I going to explain to my high society friends that I'm living with a damn Yankee. We lost our biggest colony to you lot, I'll be stripped of my title…"

Horatio pulled a face, "I'll get you for that."

Mich chuckled wickedly, "You'll have to catch me first…"

&&&

Leaning against a tree, Horatio took deep breaths, he and Mich had been fooling around for about 15 minutes, and he still couldn't catch her. She was standing nearby, also breathing deeply he was gratified to see, but the twinkle in her eyes told him that he wouldn't hear the last of this.

Mich was superbly fit, her work with the horses giving her a workout everyday and though H liked to run, she did have several years advantage. However, one thing he did have on his side was experience.

As he straightened up, Mich's eyes glittered, and he could see her muscles tense up as she prepared to run. Smiling to himself, he took a couple more deep breaths, and made a quick lunge for her, but she was gone.

"You're getting slow Horatio… Maybe the British climate isn't so good for you, or are you just getting old?"

"Oh you… That does it; you are going DOWN young lady."

Mich roared with laughter as H chased after her up the hill, running lightly on her feet, however she stopped immediately upon hearing the shout of pain and swearing behind her. Looking back, she was concerned to see H sitting on the floor, holding his ankle.

Quickly running back down the hill, she crouched at Horatio's side, "Honey, are you ok?"

H muttered under his breath, then in one quick movement grabbed Mich and pinned her to the floor.

"Gotcha…"

"Ooh you, I can't BELIEVE you would pull a trick like that." Horatio laughed at the look on Mich's face and held her tightly as she wriggled, trying to get away from him.

"Now, I have a question to ask, did you just say I was getting old?"

Mich shook her head, eyes wide with innocence, "Me, call you old? Never… I wouldn't dare."

Horatio raised an eyebrow and tickled her gently in the ribs, causing her to giggle and squirm. "Are you lying to me?"

"No, I would never lie to you…"

"Promise?"

Mich giggled and tried to break free once more, but H was too strong. Finally she gave up, but H wasn't going to let go just yet, "You didn't promise me…"

"Promise you what?" Mich's eyes were still bright, teasing.

"Promise that you'll never lie to me… I know that you won't always be able to tell me everything, but promise me that you'll never lie, even if you know the truth is going to hurt."

Mich stopped moving, her face picking up on the seriousness in H's tone of voice. "I promise you Horatio, you know there are things I cannot talk to you about, but I will never lie to you…"

Putting her arms around his neck, Mich pulled H down for a soft kiss, which, as he responded grew stronger and more passionate. Opening her eyes as H pulled away, she smiled, "Shall we go back inside, it's getting a little damp out here."

Closing the front door of the house, Mich hung her jacket on the stand and quietly walked upstairs. Amber was fast asleep, curled up with her teddy bear, thumb in mouth. Gently, Mich pulled the thumb away and gave her youngest a soft kiss on the forehead.

Next door, Kyra was just dozing off, Mich gave her a hug and wished her a good night, before quietly closing the door and walking downstairs. Horatio was in the kitchen, pouring both of them a soft drink.

"Your Gran sent down some home-made lemonade, do you want some?" Mich nodded, sliding her arms around H's waist, watching as he filled the glass. "Are the girls ok?"

Mich smiled, "Yeah, Amber is fast asleep, and Kyra was just dozing off as I put my head around the door."

H nodded, "you want anything else?"

Walking across to the fridge, Mich spotted the cheese immediately, "Someone's been shopping." Grabbing the selection of cheeses and some biscuits, she led H into the living room, and the two of them curled up on the sofa.

&&&

M

&&&

Finishing their snack, Mich snuggled into Horatio's arms, grumbling about the sofa, "It's not as comfortable as ours."

"Probably just as well, we'd be asleep in five minutes otherwise, and I have plans…"

Mich rolled on to her stomach, so she could look at his face, "Really, would I be part of those plans?"

"Of course…" Sitting up slightly, H brushed Mich's forehead softly with his lips, "You are always part of my plans."

Mich moved closer, returning H's kiss with one of her own to his cheek. Reaching out, H placed his hand to the back of her head and eased out the band that held the ponytail in place. Sliding his other hand through the hair that now fell around Mich's face, he drew her in for a deeper kiss and gently caressed the top of her neck.

Mich melted against him, muscles relaxing at his touch, yet her nerves beginning to come alive. Her hands reached up to cup his face for a moment, before one slid downwards to his shirt. As she slowly undid each button, H removed his lips from hers, brushing them gently along her jaw until he reached her ear. "How about we get more comfortable?"

Mich gave a soft smile and moved off the sofa so H could stand up, leading the way to the stairs, he caught her hands with his and kissed the backs softly, before guiding her to the bedroom.

Opening the door, Mich gasped, H had prepared the room earlier that day, and closed the door so no-one could see in, wanting to surprise her. A dozen candles gave the room a warm soft glow and a bouquet of red roses rested on the bed.

"Just for you sweetheart…"

Mich smiled, "You are full of surprises, I love it, thank you…" She carefully picked up the roses and placed them to one side where they would be safe, and then walked around the room, blowing out several candles, leaving just a few for soft illumination.

Returning to Horatio, she smiled as he held out a hand, "May I?" Mich nodded her head slowly, wondering what was coming next; he had removed his shirt completely and as he pulled her close, guided one of her hands to his chest.

Reaching out a hand, he switched on the CD player, and music quietly filled the room. Mich grinned; the CD was a favourite of theirs, a mixture of soft Jazz, Rock ballads and other slow songs.

"There's just one problem…" Mich gave H a questioning look. "You are altogether over dressed." Slowly, he eased off her jumper, and spun her in a half circle so her back was against his chest. Pushing her hair gently out of the way, H began to kiss along one shoulder softly, while caressing the side of her neck with a finger.

Mich shivered, but it had nothing to do with the temperature, she turned as H removed her T-shirt, catching her arms around his neck as they became free from the item of clothing.

"So, is this a little more acceptable?"

H smiled, and silenced her with another kiss, closing his arms tightly around her. A few moments later Mich found herself lying on her stomach, while H kneaded her shoulders gently.

Hearing the sigh escaping Mich's lips, H smiled and increased the pressure of his fingers slightly, feeling the muscles relax under his hands. Mich took a deep breath, "You always know the right spot…"

H chuckled, "What use would I be otherwise?" he continued the massage to other parts of her back, dropping his head occasionally to add a kiss and occasionally increasing the pressure of his fingers to stop Mich from falling asleep. When he had finished, he laid next to her, catching her chin with a finger and thumb.

"Better?'

"Mmmm, now what?" H chuckled and rolled Mich to her back, leaning gently on her chest, his lips gently touching her skin. Mich quivered all over, closing her eyes as H began to track his lips softly around her body.

She gasped as he kissed her stomach, hearing the soft chuckle coming from his throat. In a moment her jeans were gone and her calf muscle twitched as H kissed it, descending down to her feet.

Slowly H began to massage each foot, using a little oil that he had hidden away in preparation. A feather-like touch along the instep caused a shiver to run up Mich's spine, making her sit up and pull H to her, "Damn your sexy mouth Horatio Caine… You know what it does to me."

H laughed and laid down, pulling Mich on top of him. The kisses that followed were no longer soft and gentle, but strong and as their tongues met he heard the moan in Mich's throat.

Once again his lips were moving, but this time no further than her chest, as he searched for a personal favourite. Catching a nipple gently in his teeth, he tickled the tip with his tongue, feeling Mich push into him. Her hands moving through his hair, catching the back of his head, pulling him closer.

Mich bit her lip, somehow, her remaining clothes had disappeared, and Horatio had lost his too, but she couldn't remember it happening. Releasing the nipple, H raised himself over her and dropped his head, lips closing on hers.

Instinctively, he adjusted his position and eased himself inside Mich's body, feeling her arch into him as he slowly pushed deeper, taking his time. Little by little he pushed more, feeling Mich's hips rise as she sought to aid him, reaching his final point, he began to rotate his hips slightly, hearing the soft moan emerge from Mich's lips as he did so.

Dropping down to his elbows, he continued the motion, at the same time enclosing Mich in his arms, so he could feel every tremble her body made in reaction to what he was doing.

Mich bit her bottom lip, she could feel every move H made, her nerves tingling with pleasure. He was certainly spoiling her this evening, there was just one thing missing. As she thought about it, she felt his lips tenderly brushing along her shoulder to her neck and closed her eyes in delight, feeling the thrill passing through her entire body.

H felt it too and used it to continue, adding a little more movement, slowly easing himself back and for, hearing the sharp intake of breath from Mich as his actions brought on a new wave of sensations.

Keeping his movements slow and gentle and his kisses tender, H smiled at the reactions he was causing in Mich, the pleasure showing plainly across her face. Soon, he could feel Mich's response, as she began to tighten her muscles against him, a smile on her face, knowing it would heighten his enjoyment of their loving.

Wrapping her arms around his back, Mich dragged her nails gently down his spine, feeling H arch his back in reaction to her move. It also had the effect of making H push in a little harder, causing her to gasp.

"So… Are you going to continue spoiling me, or do I get to play too?" H laughed and pushed in a little more strongly, causing Mich to shudder.

"Sure you want to play?"

Mich wrapped her legs around Horatio's, kissing him deeply. Getting the message, H tightened his arms around her and rolled the two of them over, without breaking contact. He closed his eyes as Mich sat up and began to ride him lightly, his hands slowly caressing her body as she constricted around him.

Slowly he became aware that Mich was increasing speed, her own movements exciting the nerves in her body, causing her muscles to tighten involuntarily. He heard the soft gasp emerge from her throat and knew she was close.

"Horatio, please…" seizing her hips, he pulled her more tightly to his body and lifted his legs to trap her feet underneath, effectively preventing any unwanted movement. Finally, he pushed upwards into her, hearing the gasp as he did so.

Encouraging her, H could feel himself quickening and closed his eyes, enjoying the emotions coursing through him. Mich quickened again, catching her breath, oblivious to everything around her but H.

With a cry, Mich lost control of her body as it began to shake in ecstasy, but she hadn't quite caught H, who had been tightly controlling his reaction. Rolling her onto her back, he began driving in strongly not only out of a need to satisfy himself, but also to lengthen her rapture.

With each push, Mich cried out, more delicious shudders passing through her. H dropped to his elbows, catching her around the shoulders, a growl coming out of his throat.

"Mich I…" She pushed her fingers into the muscle either side of his spine, her action causing him to thrust in so forcefully she convulsed against him crying out his name. The movement caused a similar reaction in Horatio, as, gasping for breath, he succumbed to the laws of nature, feeling himself shaking from head to toe.

Exhausted for a moment by the sharp burst of energy, he lay on Mich's body, feeling the heat generated by their loving and gave a soft chuckle at her words…

"Oh wow… Can we do that again some time?"

Slightly recovered, H lifted himself to his elbows and smiled down at her. Dipping his lips to hers for a kiss, he found Mich responding strongly and dropped to the bed, pulling her on top of him.

"Anytime you like sweetheart, but would you let me get my breath back first?"

Mich smiled, "Of course, it will give me time to recover too." As she spoke H felt her whole body quiver and began to chuckle.

"Aftershock?"

Mich nodded and closed her eyes in pleasure as her body trembled again, then snuggled in closely to Horatio, her head resting on his chest, his arm encircled around her waist. Tenderly he stroked her cheek, until she fell asleep, a soft smile on her face.

Closing his eyes, H gave his lover a gentle kiss on the forehead, "I love you Mich…" He too was asleep in minutes.


	27. Chapter 27

Mich awoke to sunlight streaming in through the bedroom window and the smell of bacon and eggs wafting up from downstairs. Startled, she glanced at the clock, relieved to see that it was only 6.30. Horatio must have opened the curtains, knowing that the sunlight would wake her.

Turning over, she saw the roses on the dresser and smiled to herself. H had certainly surprised her last night, it was not that he never surprised her, but due to work and the stress, it had been a while. As she debated whether to get up, she heard foot steps on the stairs and grinned.

H paused at the door; Amber and Kyra were already awake having slept early the night before and were tucking into breakfast downstairs. H smiled to himself, seeing Mich asleep… or was she? As he watched, another muscle in her cheek twitched…

Sitting down on the bed, he chuckled, "Wake up lazybones; you have work to do…" When Mich did not stir, he leant forwards and gently kissed her forehead. Still no movement. An amused smile crossed his lips knowing that she was playing, dropping his lips to hers, he felt arms stealing around his neck, the kiss becoming stronger.

Releasing her after a few moments, he tickled Mich in the ribs, rewarded by a soft giggle, "You certainly know how to wake someone up in the morning Honey…"

H laughed, "Are you going to get moving, or do I have to drag you out of bed." The answer was a wicked chuckle as Mich pulled the covers over the top of her head. H rolled his eyes and nudged the bedroom door closed, there were some things that children did not need to know about their parents…

Sliding his hands under the covers, he was rewarded by a shriek, "Jeez Horatio, your hands are freezing. What have you been doing?"

H roared with laughter, "I just got some cool blocks out of the freezer. I thought you might fancy a day out."

Mich peeked at him from under the covers, "Don't you have to work?"

H shook his head, "Your dad very kindly gave me the weekend off. I thought we could go and check on the horses, then take off somewhere for a few hours, just the four of us."

Mich smiled softly, they very rarely had the chance to do things as a family back in Miami and it seemed as though H was determined to make the most of his time here. Sliding close to him, she sat up and gave him a tender kiss, "I think that you have the best ideas…"

Half an hour later they were on their way, the girls helping Horatio pack the Discovery while Mich got ready. A quick trip up the M4 and over to Gatcombe Park where Mich and the girls made short order of sorting the horses out, checking that they had spent a good night.

Deciding to leave them inside for the day, Mich made sure they had plenty of hay and water before jumping back into the passenger seat. H grinned at her enthusiasm for a day out. "Well sweetheart, you know the area, where to?"

Mich thought for a moment, "Town or country?"

Kyra laughed, "With the picnic that we've got… It had better be the country."

Mich grinned, "I know just the place…" Giving H the first directions, she settled back in her seat as he turned in the direction of Wales.

Horatio took his time – not driving too fast or too slowly, but at a constant speed, giving him the chance to look around. Mich had elected to use the main roads to get to their destination, rather than the motorway which although quicker was actually the longer route.

As he drove, H began to smile, the countryside around him was certainly beautiful. He was used to the artificial landscape of Miami, with the exception of the Everglades, but here it was completely natural, rolling fields, interspersed with woodland, Amber once again had her nose pressed up against the window. Kyra too was quiet, but a quick glance in the rear view mirror assured H that she was also enjoying the trip.

Passing through Gloucester and the Forest of Dean, and picking up the road to Monmouth, Kyra grinned and suddenly exclaimed, "Are we going to the waterfalls mum?"

Mich began to chuckle, "What do you think? Is that ok by you?" The look of delight on Kyra's face answered that one.

As they approached Abergavenny, Mich gave H more specific directions, directing him to a small town, but then turning away over a small canal bridge. Following a country lane, they came around a sharp bend when H gasped.

In front of them a large reservoir opened up, surrounded by mountains. He had seen them in the distance as he was driving, but it was as if something was holding them back. Now he was in the middle of them, with no warning at all.

Mich instructed him to drive on, Kyra leaning forward as far as her seatbelt would allow, waiting for the first glimpse of the small river that flowed into the reservoir. Spotting it a few minutes later, she and Mich were stunned by what they found.

In the past, cars had merely found parking amongst the trees at the bridge which crossed the river, but now there was a small car park, with picnic site and play area. Horatio grabbed the picnic basket, while Kyra grabbed the blanket and Mich picked up a bag that she had packed herself earlier.

Looking around, H was pleased to see that only a few picnic tables were taken, "So, where shall we sit?"

Mich grinned, while Kyra burst out laughing, "Not here dad… Mum and I know somewhere much better; as long as you don't mind walking a little way."

Intrigued, H told Kyra to lead the way Amber hot on her heels, linking her arm through Horatio's Mich chuckled when she saw her eldest daughter heading for the river path. As they walked further, H began to understand why Mich had brought them here, as they followed the river, he smiled at Amber's exclamations as the cascades they passed became ever more beautiful.

First a small multiple cascade falling into a shallow pool, then a single waterfall about 3 metres high dropping into a pool so still it was almost like a mirror. A little further, and the river ran through a narrow gorge.

He had warning of the final cascade, hearing Amber's squeal of delight just as they walked around the corner. H was stunned; the final fall was about 30 metres high, a rainbow created halfway down by the spray caused by some of the water hitting rocks that jutted out from the side.

Kyra had laid the blanket out and was already taking off her socks and shoes, "What are you doing?" Amber stood, hands on hips, staring at her sister.

"Come on squirt, let's go and see if the sticklebacks are still here…" As she carefully climbed over the rocks, H could see that she was headed for a large shallow pool. Within seconds, Amber was beside her.

"Ah Mich, is that a good idea?" Chuckling, Mich encouraged him to sit down and relax, leaning against a large rock for support. As soon as he was comfortable, she joined him, snuggling in close, head resting against his shoulder.

"Mich… the girls…" Opening the bag next to her, Mich sat up and took out some towels and changes of clothing. H laughed, "You came prepared."

Mich nodded, "As soon as you suggested a day out, I wanted to come here. I brought Kyra here a few times – and Dad used to bring my brother and I here too. It's a favourite place." Giving H a soft kiss, she curled up next to him, "Do you like it?"

"Excellent choice, I think we could well be coming back again." Wrapping his arm around Mich's waist, he relaxed back, enjoying the sunshine.

&&&

A loud splash and a roar of laughter followed by tears roused both of them from a light doze. They quickly ran to the river bank, where they found Kyra helping Amber up out of the pool. H raised his eyes skyward, while Mich tried not to laugh; only Amber's pride was hurt, but the shock of landing in the water had given her a fright.

Helping her to the bank, Mich checked Amber over quickly, before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Did Kyra show you the slide yet?" Amber stopped crying immediately, curiosity replacing shock and shook her head.

Mich looked up and winked at her eldest, "You mean you didn't show her yet… Kyra how could you?"

Kyra chuckled, "Come on squirt, its great fun." Leading her slowly by the hand, Kyra took her to the other side of the pool where the flowing water had made a natural slide out of the rock. Within seconds, the two girls were screaming in laughter, as they slid down into the pool below.

H chuckled and helped Mich to her feet, wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her on the back of the neck and sighed, "Sometimes I wonder who the kids are… It's almost as if you want to join them."

Mich laughed, "If the water wasn't so cold, I would." Checking the time, she returned to the blanket and started to get lunch out of the picnic basket, raising her eyebrows at the small bottle of champagne she found inside.

"Now I know you are spoiling me." H chuckled at the look of delight on her face, he didn't often have the chance, but now he was making the most of it. Pouring the two glasses from the bottle, Mich handed one to him, "May I do the toast?" seeing H nod, she smiled softly. "To us…"

&&&

After the girls had dried off and they'd had lunch, they headed back to Gatcombe to give the horses their evening feed, before returning to the lodge. Derek had arranged for the two girls to be joined by two of their older cousins for the evening, which meant Mich and H could get ready at home before driving to the Guildhall in London for the Policemen's ball.

Walking out of the bathroom after having a shave, H froze at the entrance to the bedroom, Mich had not brought the white gown as he had suggested, but bought something new. One thing for sure, H knew that this one had cost her.

"Jeez Mich, you look…" Standing up, Mich chuckled at the look on his face and walked across the room.

"You forget sweetheart, here, I am the one who is known and have a reputation to live up to." Helping H on with his tux, and fixing his bow tie, she gave an amused glance at the look on his face. "All I can say is, I'm going to have the best escort for the evening. The girls from Scotland Yard are going to be so jealous."

&&&

Entering the Guildhall, H felt a little uncomfortable as heads turned to look at them, and people began whispering. Walking down the corridor, Mich paused as a voice came from one side. "Well, well, well, so the rumour is true, you are back.

Turning to the voice, Mich smiled, "Stuart, it is so good to see you again." H was startled as he now recognised the man standing in front of him, Stuart Cook, MI5 Director of Operations.

As they were introduced, he gave H a cursory nod and handshake before returning his attention to Mich. Seeing the look in his eyes, H became concerned, outwardly the man showed friendship, but he was responsible for bringing Mich back on the line and H did not feel comfortable.

This was a man he felt could not be trusted.

Escorting Mich around the room, Horatio was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcomes she was receiving. Most of the people here were genuinely pleased to see her again and curious about her partner.

H found himself being drawn into several conversations, not only out of politeness, but also legitimate interest for the job. It was while he was talking to the Chief Constable, whom he had met briefly earlier that week that he spotted Stuart Cook talking to Jo Flynn.

For some reason, seeing the two of them together unnerved him slightly, though he couldn't tell why and he returned to the conversation in hand. After a few minutes, he excused himself and returned to Mich's side, where she chatting to Sam.

An amused smile and twinkle in Sam's eye made him realise that he had probably been the topic of conversation just a few minutes before. "Talking about me again sweetheart, I thought I could feel my ears burning."

Mich flushed slightly to confirm his suspicions, "Don't worry H, it was all complimentary I can assure you." Sam chuckled, "You have brought out the better side of Mich's nature."

"Ooh Sam, I'll get you for that."

The pathologist chuckled, "Oh come on Mich, you just told me that he is your better half, are you going to deny it now?"

Mich chuckled and shook her head, "Of course not… I would never deny the truth, you know that."

Horatio felt himself flushing slightly at Mich's words, but began to relax as they began to joke with each other. Spotting Frank at the bar, H excused himself and promised to return with fresh drinks for the three of them.

Saying hi to his new team member, H nodded in the direction of Mich's boss, "I see Stuart and Jo are friendly."

Frank nodded, "Stems from when they worked on an operation together, Mich and Rhys Williams were part of it too. It was one of the first ops where '5' and Scotland Yard co-operated together. You know who he is?"

H gave a curt nod, "There's something about him…"

Frank nodded in return, "I agree, he gives most people a feeling of insecurity, and not being as good as they think, but you can't fault his record. He was one of the top agents '5' ever had."

Walking back to the girls, H spotted Derek and changed direction for a moment. As the two of them exchanged greetings, he saw the look on Derek's face change. "Oh no, I didn't think about this."

Turning around, H saw Frank walking up behind Mich, and gently slide his hand around her waist. Derek started to move quickly towards the small group, H by his side.

Mich chuckled, the move was so Horatio, however the kiss to the shoulder was not and it startled her. Turning around, she saw H and her father coming closer, confused for a moment she looked at the man standing in front of her and nearly dropped her empty glass.

The face was older than she had anticipated, the lines a little deeper, but the brown eyes… "Hello Mich."

Horatio was just close enough to hear Mich's answer, which chilled him to the bone, everything suddenly slotting into place. He turned pale, hearing Mich's voice pick up the soft tone she used when they were alone together.

"Robert… It's been a while…"


	28. Chapter 28

Horatio took a deep breath and swallowed, thinking about what to say when a glance from Mich kept him silent. A look of confusion, mixed with bitterness, he knew she was hurt, but how to explain that he hadn't realised who Frank was?

Watching her, he saw her gaze turn to her father and change, becoming a hard look of intense anger. Derek stepped forwards to speak, "Mich, I…"

"Not now dad, I don't want to cause a scene. Because damn it you have some explaining to do…" Glancing at H her glance softened, but H knew he would have a little explaining to do too, though he realised she did not blame him for the situation.

"Do you still dance?" Looking at him, Frank supplied her with his name, she nodded, "At least it's easy to remember."

As they stepped down to the dance floor, H could not help feeling a little anxious, and if he admitted it, a little jealous too. Frank was only a year or two older than Mich, handsome, and the father of her first child, add to that the fact that she had admitted still having some feelings for her ex, H could not help feeling threatened.

Feeling a soft hand on his arm, H turned slightly to see Sam. "Don't worry Horatio, you haven't lost her. Though she may be a little upset for a day or two if she thinks you held some information from her…"

"But I didn't realise Sam, if I had…"

"Then just be honest, you know Mich well enough by now I would hope…" H nodded, understanding what Sam meant, picking up on a conversation with her and a couple of other people he had not met, he couldn't help but watch Mich carefully.

&&

Mich was laughing at a joke Robert… No Frank, she corrected herself, had just made, "Still got your sense of humour I see."

Frank smiled, "I missed you, but now I know why you stayed in Miami."

Mich smiled, "You thought I was coming back."

Frank nodded. "That's what I had been told, that when your job was over, you would return home. Then I got the message from your dad that you had decided to stay there."

Mich became concerned, it was not what she wanted to hear, "You've been waiting…"

Frank drew her close, "I had hoped that we could work things out between us, be a family together. At first I was angry that you didn't return, I was still behind bars then. Your dad kept in touch, told me about Amber and H, he wasn't happy to pass on the news, but now I understand why he did it."

"I was ready to go against Horatio when he came over, but everything about him, Mich, he's a decent guy, I know that now. He's the type of person I would want on my side. I just hope after tonight we can be friends."

"Why shouldn't you be?"

"Because I didn't tell him who I was Mich. I stayed quiet, wanted to make up my mind about him. I wanted him to get to know me."

Mich smiled, "I wouldn't worry about that Frank, Horatio will understand that you had your reasons." She looked at him nervously, "You do realise that we can be nothing more than friends don't you, please don't ask me for more, I love Horatio, he is the person I want to be with…"

Frank smiled, "I understand Mich, and I'm happy for you. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy and I can see that you are. There's just one thing I have to ask…"

Mich turned pale realising what he was going to ask, "I'm not giving her up Frank, Kyra stays with me.'

Gripping Mich's arm a little more tightly, Frank scowled at Mich, "She's my daughter too Mich. You have no right to keep her away."

"She's only 15, I have every right. She doesn't know you."

Frank pulled Mich more closely to him, "Does she even know about me?" When Mich nodded, he released her slightly, "Then you cannot stop me meeting her."

"Wrong Frank, I can. If she requests to meet you, then I have to acknowledge that request, but by law you cannot approach her, and don't you even try it…" Pulling her arm out of Frank's hand, she walked quickly away.

Frank followed her, but was intercepted by Horatio, "What did you say to her Frank. Mich doesn't walk away with a look like that on her face for no reason."

"That's between me and Mich." He made to move past H, but was stopped by a hand on his chest. "Frank, where Mich is concerned, it is my business. Now, try again."

Looking into the cold blue eyes Frank was startled, he had never seen H react like this so far and it made him back down a little. "Kyra."

H began to relax, "Let me guess, Mich doesn't want you to see her." Frank nodded, "Look Frank, you know what Mich is like, when you demand something, she goes against you immediately and she is very protective towards Kyra – I think it's because of Jack."

Leading Frank to one side, he told him a little about what he knew, skipping the worst parts. When he had finished, Frank sat next to him quiet and pale. "I never knew, she never said anything."

H chuckled, "It's taken me five years to get the full story, but you must promise me something. Never tell Mich what I told you. Please."

Frank offered an outstretched hand and shook Horatio's, "Don't worry Horatio, I understand, but Kyra is my daughter, I want to see her. If Mich has told her about me, I don't see why it's a problem."

H sighed, "She's probably worried that Kyra will want to stay with you, want to get to know you. I know Kyra asked a lot about you – and said that she wanted to meet you. Mich was not against it, but asked her to wait until she had finished college – when she's 18."

Frank sighed, "Oh god, you're right, when she answered me she said that Kyra was staying with her… I realise that now, but I don't want to take Kyra away from Mich. I just want to see her. Maybe Mich didn't understand what I was trying to say."

H chuckled, "And she over-reacted a little as always. Look, did you see where she went? Maybe I can talk to her, but I'm not promising… You know what she's like…"

"Yeah, damn stubborn. Look H, I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was, but I have my reasons…"

H put his hand on the younger man's shoulder, "It's not important Frank, if I'd been in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. One thing I have to know is why you're on the team…"

"To help you Horatio. I'm good at my job and will stay on the team when you leave, but I'm also here to help you protect Mich while she does what she has to do."

H stared at Frank, but then began to smile softly, "Derek has kept his options open I see…"

Frank chuckled, "She is his daughter Horatio, and fathers never stop trying to keep them out of harm's way – even if they insist on putting themselves there on purpose."

Horatio chuckled, "I know what you mean – and I have to cope with three of them, Mich, Kyra and Amber. Is it any wonder I'm turning grey…"

Frank laughed out loud, "Well I could help you out a little…"

H raised an eyebrow, "Hands off, Mich is mine, as is Amber, though I might loan you Kyra from time to time…"

Frank roared with laughter, "Don't worry H, I have no intention of coming after Mich. When I heard that she had found someone new, I was down for a while, but in a way it's helped me to move on. I've a partner of my own, but we have to keep things quiet, for the moment at least. I'm just glad that Mich is happy, but I would appreciate it if you could talk to her about Kyra."

H nodded and stood up. "See you in a few minutes…"

Frank stared at him, "You're going to speak to her now?"

"Yeah, no time like the present…"

"Good luck…"

Horatio winked and walked out into the corridor.

&&&

Mich was sitting on a bench seat just outside the entrance to the Ballroom when she heard a soft footstep nearby. She sighed, knowing it was Horatio. "Hi honey…"

"Can't creep up on you can I?"

"Why would you want to?"

H sat next to her, "Well it would depend on the mood you're in."

Mich pulled a face, "Did I create much of a scene?"

H chuckled, "Not at all, hardly anyone noticed that you left. Now, will you tell me what's wrong?" Seeing the emotions running across her face, he took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"It was just a bit of a shock, that's all."

H sighed, "I thought we promised that we wouldn't lie to each other." Mich looked him in the eye and dropped her head.

"I don't want to lose her Horatio."

Standing up, H helped Mich to her feet and led her away from the doorway. Arm around her shoulders, he could feel the shudder as Mich let go of the tears she was holding inside. When he felt her begin to relax he paused, taking the handkerchief out of his pocket, he gently dried her eyes.

"Who said anything about losing Kyra? Frank just wants to see her, he doesn't want to take her away from you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I asked him."

Mich stared at Horatio and shook her head in disbelief. Drawing her close, H held her tightly, "Frank agrees that she should stay with us, he doesn't want to turn her life upside down."

Mich gave a wry smile, "I over reacted didn't I…"

"Wouldn't be you otherwise…" He chuckled as Mich gave him a playful punch, "Though I understand why, Mich, you know Kyra has asked to meet her dad, would it be so much of a problem if she did?"

"You're taking his side?" Mich was a little annoyed.

"Mich, I know how I'd feel if I wasn't allowed to see Amber, and I thought you were keeping her away deliberately." Looking up, Mich saw the sad look in Horatio's eyes and dropped her head, "Mich, it's not like he's a bad guy. What would you prefer, letting Kyra meet him with our consent, or having to deal with her resentment if she found out you blocked it."

Mich was startled, "You wouldn't tell her…"

"Of course not, but when she's eighteen and chooses to meet her dad herself, do you think she won't find out?"

Mich sighed, H was right. She and Kyra were a lot alike, and she knew how her daughter would react in that situation. "I guess I'd better go and make an apology."

H smiled, "That's my girl…"

Mich smiled, "What would I do without you? You always manage to stop me from getting into trouble."

"And Robert?"

"Seeing him has helped, I was always afraid he might come between us, might want me back, now I feel nothing more than friendship towards him and he thankfully feels the same."

She paused, the look she gave him was undeniably one reserved just for him, her voice a soft rich tone he had never heard before. "No-one can come between us Horatio, it's you I love…"

Giving Mich a soft kiss, H felt relieved, he had begun to worry what would happen when Mich met Robert again, but now he could be sure that she was his. In that moment, neither of them spotted that they were being watched by two pairs of eyes.

"I want the two of them watched at every opportunity, there must be a weakness in their relationship. The only way we can succeed is if they are separated."

The woman nodded, "I'll see what I can do…"

&&&

The following day Mich slept late, she had arranged with Kathy to feed Knight and Dream, offering to feed William's horse in the evening to allow the groom an afternoon off, an opportunity that the young woman was not going to pass up on.

The evening before had been full of emotion, and she could still see the look of amazement on Frank's face as she apologised for her behaviour and agreed that he could see Kyra during their stay in the UK. Horatio had offered to make the arrangements while Mich was training, knowing that it would be something that would play on her mind.

As she became more alert, she could hear the laughter coming from downstairs. Grabbing her dressing gown, she made her way out of the bedroom and took a quick look. The girls were playing a game of 'Twister' with their cousins, who had stayed overnight. Scott was playing, while the eldest, Aislynn, was spinning the dial.

A hand slid around her waist and she leant back against Horatio's chest. He must have been in the bathroom when she awoke, as she could smell the minty scent of toothpaste, mixed with that of the lotion he used when he shaved.

"They seem to be fine and having fun, you know, it's still early, I think we should take advantage and go back to bed…" Mich didn't need to be persuaded and soon dozed off, her head resting on H's chest.

&&

Sunday lunch at the Hall was a fun affair; Derek had joined them from London, and after a quiet talk with Mich about Frank, they all sat down to eat. Not only the Dowager Countess, current Earl and Countess, but a host of cousins too.

Horatio smiled, he had never been part of a large family, but over the last few years had enjoyed getting together with the team when Mich invited them over for special occasions.

Looking across the table, he saw that Mich was enjoying herself tremendously, chuckling at some joke or other being told by her nearest cousin. Derek glanced at H and chuckled, "Enjoy Horatio, traditional British Sunday lunch, Roast Beef with all the trimmings… It's Mich's favourite."

H laughed, "I know, she does it occasionally when we have the team over for dinner though I have to admit she grumbles because the weather's too warm to enjoy it properly."

The tapping of a glass attracted their attention and everyone fell silent as Mich's uncle asked for quiet. "Normally, we would just enjoy our meal and relax, but mother would like to say something"

Smiling, the Countess stood so she could be seen by her whole family. "Normally, we only have this number of people around the table at Christmas, but I am glad to see so many of us here today."

"Most of all I am so very happy that Kerys has come back to join us for a short time and brought her family with her from Miami. While I am a little concerned that her heart has been stolen by a Yankee, I cannot deny that he has made her happy. Horatio, from this moment on, you will always be welcomed as one of us."

H blushed, glancing across at Mich he saw tears in her eyes and realised how important to her it was that he was accepted by her family. As the Countess sat down, she spotted the glance traded between the two and smiled to herself. She had work to do before this couple left the UK to return to Miami…


	29. Chapter 29

Mich smiled softly as she looked around the large room. After dinner, the whole family had moved into the lounge – only used at the time of family gatherings – enough easy chairs and sofas for everyone to relax and a pair of French windows leading out onto the terrace.

The windows were open, and Mich could see Amber playing outside with a couple of cousins – they were older than her, but fortunately patient enough to allow her to join in their game. Kyra was locked into a conversation with Aislinn and Scott, Mich could just hear that they were discussing the differences between their schools.

Glancing quickly at the time, she sighed and began to stand up.

"Going somewhere?"

Mich chuckled at Horatio's query, he had been talking to her uncle and the two of them were so deep in conversation, neither had noticed that their drinking glasses had been removed from the small table between the chairs.

"I have to go and feed the horses. See you in about two hours" Kyra began to stand up – but Mich told her to relax with her cousins. "Rest today sweetie, work tomorrow."

As she made her way outside, she heard footsteps behind her and smiled. H had caught the look in her eye and was walking to catch her up. "Need company?"

Looking up she grinned, "If it's you, then yes…"

Taking the keys from her H grinned back, "I don't think we've ever managed to get this much time alone in all the years we've been together, work has always got in the way. I'm certainly going to make the most of it."

&&&

Driving to Gatcombe, the two of them enjoyed a light conversation, though Mich was a little quiet. Thinking about how she was going to break the news about the mission. She certainly didn't want to keep it away from H – he was just as involved as she was. She quickly decided to tell him on the way home, there was a nice pub in the village where they could relax.

"You ok?"

"I'm fine, a little tired, but at least the jet lag is beginning to wear off." Mich smiled, "Dad just confirmed a few things that Rhys told me when he arrived in Miami – I'll tell you about them later."

Trying not to sound a little jealous, H glanced at Mich, "The two of you seem close…"

Mich chuckled, "What has Calleigh been telling you?" H blushed a little, making Mich laugh even more, "Oh Horatio, you don't have to worry, he's my cousin."

H was stunned, "But Calleigh said…." He paused, realizing that his comment had given away his feelings a little, "she thinks you two have… history."

Mich laughed, "We do… We worked a big undercover op together – supposedly we were lovers… It was easy for us – we knew each other so well."

H nodded, "So what do I tell Calleigh? She's fishing… Though I can't understand why…"

"Don't tell her anything – hardly anyone knows that he's my cousin, and for his sake it has to stay that way. He did some tough undercover stuff and made a few enemies. The last thing he needs is the truth coming out – it could blow a couple of operations he set up."

H stared at Mich, "Anyone would think that MI5 was a family operation – I mean, look at your Dad… I can't work out whether he works for '5' or Scotland Yard."

Mich laughed, "Actually, he works for both. He's the head of a specialist task force in the fight against drugs. Normally '5' and Scotland Yard would work separately, but when Robert started telling us what was going on between the Cartels, the people at the top decided that the two forces needed to work together, Dad was sent in to co-ordinate the two sides. The team you are setting up is just another layer of the organization, he's been trying to sort out the forensics side for years. I think that's why Robert is working with you."

H nodded, it made sense, though something bothered him, "But you were working drug squad before you met Robert." Seeing the look on Mich's face, H wished he hadn't voiced the question.

"Mich, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"It's ok, I'm just thinking what I can tell you – the operation is still running, so I can't say much." She stayed quiet for a couple of minutes. "Ok, an agent working in Columbia found out that the Cartels wanted to get a stronger foothold in Europe. The Cartels selected a contact from outside South America to manage the deals with the European drug bosses. The 'manager' was invited to a big meeting to be interviewed and the agent saw him."

Horatio nodded, seeing where part of this was going, "the 'manager' was a mutual friend of ours… right?"

Mich grinned, "Problem was, '5' had no way of identifying him. The agent was in too deep to send out information. All they could do was send a codeword, asking for a replacement, so the information could be passed on directly."

"We didn't know when the 'manager' was going to be sent to the UK, so a couple of agents were asked to work with the drug squad in preparation. I was one of them. The agent identified him straight away, the first time he came over – then it was just a case of keeping an eye on him when he was here."

"Which ended up being your job…"

Mich squirmed a little, "Yeah, though you can imagine what the reaction was a few years later when I told them he wanted to change sides…."

"Christmas and birthdays all rolled up into one" H laughed, but quickly became quiet, "Must have been tough on you though, especially after Jack and with Kyra so young. You could have been a family."

Mich looked at the floor for a moment, "Yes, but Robert took the decision. Not me. That was when his dad got involved. In the meantime I was busy getting a Japanese diplomat out of trouble. When that was finished, the idea for the Miami mission was already out. CIA were like a kid with a new toy, they finally had a way to hit the drug trade in Florida."

Horatio stayed quiet, Mich had given him the full story on that mission, so he had no need to discuss it further. Removing his hand from the steering wheel, he gave Mich's arm a quick squeeze. "This will soon be over Mich, then we can go home and pretend it never happened."

Mich nodded and swallowed deeply. H said nothing more, leaving her to her thoughts, knowing she would need a few minutes to get herself together. Closing her eyes for a moment, Mich though over in her mind what she would tell H, certain that he would be relieved to find out that the mission was just a bluff.

What he would not be happy about was that Mich herself was the target and she wasn't sure how he would react to that. The worse thing was that Mich herself had not yet decided how she would deal with the situation, there were several options open to her, but the most appealing would make H the most angry.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence and Mich was glad when they arrived at the stables. The two of them were becoming a little strained by the quiet in the car – H had put on some music to break the mood and by the time they arrived at Gatcombe, Mich was feeling a little better.

&&

Checking the horses, Mich became a bit concerned about Knight who was a little de-hydrated, adding some electrolytes to his water, she hoped it was just caused by the journey and it would not affect him too badly. She decided to do the first workout with Dream who had settled in very quickly, much to her surprise.

After seeing to her own horses, Mich quickly checked William's horse and gave him his food. James arrived shortly after to check his own horses and the two of them quickly compared notes, Mich wanting to know what to expect.

"Trouble."

H raised his eyebrows at James' answer. "What do you mean?"

"Roger is planning to put so much pressure on Mich that she quits the team, William overheard him this morning, he thinks Mich got on the team because her family have money. He knows how good Mich is, and acknowledges her skill, but will not accept that Mich can be a team player."

Mich swore loudly, "Well, if that's what he thinks, I'll have to change his mind won't I…"

James raised his eyebrows and Horatio chuckled at his reaction, "Your daughter said you would fight back. Be careful though Mich, he still has the final say on who will be the final four team riders – if you tick him off, he might dump you out as reserve."

Mich smiled, "Don't worry James, there's more than one way to skin a cat… and I have no intention of doing myself out of a team place – I didn't come all the way here for nothing."

James nodded and waved as she and H returned to the Discovery and jumped inside.

"Do you think he'll give you a lot of hassle?"

"Who, Roger?" Mich sighed, "Probably, he's very tough as a coach, but he is good at what he does. We are lucky to have him with Captain Mark Phillips working with the American team. I heard that the Australians tried to poach him as they haven't been doing quite so well over the last few games."

"I'll just have to keep my mouth shut and get on with it…"

Horatio gave her an amused sideways glance, but said nothing. He didn't need to; Mich had seen his reaction and gave him a playful punch.

"What was that look for?"

"Nothing…"

"You don't think I can do it…"

"Well, you are known for your temper Mich, though I know you reserve it for the necessary occasions. He might just try and bait you into losing it." H kept his tone light and he saw that he had made his point. Mich was looking thoughtful.

"You're right, I'll have to be careful – but it'll make your job more difficult."

H was confused for a moment, "How so?"

Mich gave him a teasing look, "You'll have to make sure to keep me happy when I'm at home and cheer me up when he gets me down."

H laughed and returned the look with one of his own, "I think I can manage that…"

"You sure?"

"I haven't heard you complain so far…"

&&&

As they arrived at the village, Mich directed H to the local pub. The lounge of The Golden Lion was fairly quiet, and Mich found seats for them in a corner, where they could talk quietly without being disturbed. When H returned from the bar with their drinks, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"You're drinking Guiness?"

H laughed, "Blame Frank, he got me to try it. I like it, at first it was a little bitter, but now I prefer it to the beer you have here."

Mich shook her head, chuckling quietly, "You're being well and truly Anglicised, but you have a little way to go before you become a Celt, though you do have the looks…" She took a sip of her drink, becoming quiet for a moment.

Becoming concerned, H moved closer and waited for Mich to sort out her mind. Slowly she began to tell him what Rhys and her dad had found out. As she suspected, H became agitated when the complete story was out.

"If it wasn't for the Games, I would get you home straight away. Does your dad know why you've been targeted?"

Mich shook her head, "Rhys said the obvious ploy was to try and bring me back into MI5, they are short of agents and dad had heard that some retired agents were being recalled to do local work so the younger agents could be sent off on operations elsewhere."

"That sounds a little too obvious for my liking." H became thoughtful as he began to analyse the information Mich had given him. Glad she had told him what she knew, Mich began to smile, knowing he would soon be asking questions as he tried to narrow down what was going on. The answers would help Mich decide what she would have to do.

&&

Driving home, Mich could almost see Horatio's brain at work as he brought the investigative part of his mind to bear on the problem they faced. She smiled softly, this was one area where she valued his quiet strength. Although she was good at solving puzzles, her strength was 'operational', relating to a task set before her and how she would achieve her target. Any problems encountered would have been thought about and subsequently dealt with.

This particular problem was one relating more to analysis of the situation. She had frequently been sent out to collect information, but then she merely passed it on, leaving it to others to put together with other raw data to create a bigger picture. Not that she didn't have her own ideas on the matter, but H was a master at sorting out information – however vague – and she wanted to see what he would come up with.

"You said Rhys found out that the letter had not come out of the street gang as supposed?" Mich nodded, "Then where did it come from?"

"The first mention of a letter with dad's name on came through one of the departments that collects information on the drug trade. Dad hasn't been able to trace the source – the agent who found it."

H pulled a face, "Any way your dad can find out who saw the letter first?"

Mich shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, you'll have to ask him."

"If I can get that letter analysed properly, it may give us a clue. Who has the original?"

Mich thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, I've been out of the loop for a long time. In the past, it would have been kept filed in a special security section. Only accessible by certain people, dad may or may not be one of them."

H nodded, and asked another question. "If, as your dad thinks, this was a set up to get you back here, someone went to a lot of trouble to push the right buttons for your name to be mentioned. They would have to know how the system works, and how to get the information they wanted to use in the right places. Who has the knowledge and access to do that?"

Mich gave him a troubled look, "Collecting information would be an agents job, but analysts would have to be convinced that there was a creditable risk before bringing it to the attention of someone higher up. Then the Directors of Operations and Intelligence would meet with their small teams before discussing with the Head of 5 what should be done."

"So the person behind this has access to the top people in '5'. It keeps coming back to a small group of people… Who had access, who had knowledge of the system and who could use it."

Stepping out of the car, H gave a startled exclamation. "Mich, how did Phil Moore know to come to Miami to look for you?"

"He was sent down by CIA. What are you getting at?"

"Sweetheart, Frank was under the impression that you would be returning to the UK after the Cartel mission was over. Were the CIA told you would be staying in Miami before the mission was started, or did they assume you would return to the UK?"

"CIA weren't told any specifics, they just knew they were getting me on loan." Mich turned towards him, a look of alarm on her face, "They didn't know it was my intention to stay. Would they have been able to track me after you ran my DNA profile?"

H shook his head, "It just would have told them we were looking for you. Without an actual physical description or name, we couldn't have found you – or known if you had stayed or left."

"The only way Phil would have known to come to Miami would be if someone had told CIA you were still there."

Mich turned pale, "Horatio, do you know what you are saying?"

"Mich, how many people knew that you were going to stay in Miami?"

It was a little while before she answered, "Dad destroyed my file Horatio, as far as I know, less than ten people would have known that I was staying in Miami."

"Then that's where we need to start… I need those names, maybe your dad can find out something. Tomorrow I'll contact Calleigh and see if she and Paul can do some digging. Paul has a contact at CIA who owes him a couple of favours. Lets see if they can come up with a name."

Following H into the Hall, Mich was turning the information over in her own mind – there was something missing, but for the moment she couldn't think what it was. All she knew, was that it was important.


	30. Chapter 30

Calleigh sighed, for the past week she had begun to find out the full strength of the work Horatio covered. While in Rio, he had told her to concentrate on the cases at hand and to leave his paperwork to one side. His short term in hospital after the gunshot to his knee had been no different, after a couple of days, he had requested his files, and been working on a laptop during the day, until Mich would arrive in the evenings and take it away from him.

The day before had been her turn to work on a Sunday and she was tired. She was also confused, midway through the afternoon, Rhys had come in to do some work, going over evidence on a case he was working with Eric.

"Something wrong?"

Rhys shook his head, "Something's bugging me about this case, so I thought I'd come in and look a few things over. I thought it would be quieter…"

Calleigh laughed, "After a Saturday night in Miami? It can be the busiest day of the week sometimes."

Rhys laughed and gestured around the lab, pointing to the various people he could see, "So I now realize…" Excusing himself, he went to speak to Paula and collect the evidence from the case, before taking it to the layout room.

Calleigh had left him to it, with a pile of paperwork to do and remembering Mich's words, she left Rhys to follow up his hunch. Later, the two of them had shared a light dinner at a nearby bistro. Rhys had made her laugh with his observations during his first two weeks at the lab.

Her thought's were disrupted by the phone on her desk ringing loudly.

"Hello?" a soft grin opened on her face. "Horatio, how's it going across the pond?" She chuckled at H's comments and the two of them exchanged a few friendly words before H became serious.

"I need you and Paul to look into something for me, but keep it quiet from the rest of our team. If Rhys can help you out, it would be great." Telling Calleigh what he needed her to find out, he closed the line after a few minutes.

Staring at her phone, Calleigh was more confused than ever, she could understand why H wouldn't want the team to know, but why was Rhys included? Shrugging her shoulders, she went looking for the Welshman after receiving confirmation from Paul that he was in his office and could spare her a few minutes.

&&&

Paul looked carefully at Rhys as he and Calleigh walked in to the FBI agent's office. "I got your message Cal… What's up?"

"Did you get H's e-mail?"

Paul nodded, "Yeah, a list of ten names, and a note to pass them on to you and Detective Williams. H said that he would know what it was about." He gave the sheet of paper to Rhys, who swore softly when he saw the names and H's message.

"These are the people who knew that Mich would be staying in Miami after the Cartel mission was over. It confirms something that both her dad and I thought before I came over."

Paul became curious, "Tell me more." Rhys paused, looking at the two people sitting near him. The fact that H had sent the list to Paul, but phoned Calleigh signified that these two could be trusted with sensitive information. He carefully told them about the false mission – and that it was a ploy to get Mich to the UK, in case she wasn't selected for the British team.

It was Paul's turn to swear, "I bet H is furious, the last thing he would want is Mich being targeted. So, what does he want us to find out?"

Calleigh smiled, "That's the information he gave me, CIA sent Phil Moore here to find Mich, we have to find out how he found out that Mich was here – No-one at CIA knew."

Paul nodded, "and that's my job… H knows I have a contact at the agency." Turning to Rhys, he frowned, "Do you know why Mich is being targeted?"

Rhys shook his head, "That was one thing we couldn't find out – the information is being too closely guarded, I guess that H is going to look into that side with Derek… and somehow I think that Mich will start digging too."

Paul pulled a face, "H won't like that, he'll want her as far away from trouble as possible."

Rhys nodded, "Problem is, the more H pushes her away, the more she'll get involved. Let's hope she has too much to do with the horses to act on her feelings."

&&&&

Mich gritted her teeth at the comment Roger had just sent in her direction, reminding herself that training for MI5 had been much tougher and more degrading. The only problem was, Roger was challenging her professionalism and that was difficult to bear.

She and Kyra had arrived early that morning and began sorting out the horses. Knight was still a little under the weather, and Mich told Kyra to find out where she could take him on a quiet hack while she would ride Dream in the training session.

James' groom offered to show Kyra a route around the grounds that the riders were allowed to use. David was in his early twenties and Mich raised her eyes skyward at the look on Kyra's face.

Ignoring Roger's snide remarks, Mich once again put Dream through the jumping grid, smiling inside as her horse responded effortlessly. Only she and William had managed to go clear through the exercise, and she could see that Julia was fighting back tears after her failure to get her horse through.

"You are relying too much on your horse Mich, you need to work just as hard as he does. Stop being a passenger." Roger's comment disturbed William, who was about to say something when a look from Mich stopped him.

Sending them out of the arena to ride one of the tracks to cool the horses down, Roger turned on his heels and walked away to his car, making notes on his clipboard as he went.

"Jesus, I knew Roger was going to be tough on us, but that was pushing it a bit." James was furious.

Mich shook her head, "and he's only just got started. Are you ok Julia?" She nudged Dream closer to Julia's horse and put her arm around her team-mates shoulder.

"He knows that Acapulco is weak in gridwork, and that was a rough exercise to give us on day one. His confidence isn't what it used to be after the fall we had at Burghley last year."

Mich nodded, Julia's fall had been quite serious – she herself had been out of action with a broken leg for a few months, her horse was uninjured physically, but it had taken all Julia's skill to bring him back in time for the Games.

"Look, everyday we have an hour and a half to concentrate on what we think are our weakest areas and help each other – how about I help you with his gridwork, and you help me with Dream's dressage – it's my weakest area."

Julia nodded and began to smile, Katrina laughed, "Good idea Mich – if he sees us selecting our own weak points and asking the strongest team member in that area helping us out, it'll show that we are working as a team. I need some gridwork too."

William and James joined in the conversation and soon the team were discussing what they could and couldn't do to help each other out.

Leaning against his car, Roger was ticking off a box on the paper in front of him – 'Get team working together'. He had tried to use Mich as the bait, but she had been strong enough to resist his comments. Julia had surprised him by getting upset, but his first target had been met.

Smiling to himself he was happy the way things had turned out. Unknown to the team, he had actually recommended Mich's inclusion, knowing that her feisty character could lift the team to the best of their ability. He had great respect for her skill and ability as a rider and he liked the young horse she was riding, though he preferred Knight due to the older horse's experience.

He sighed and hoped that everything was ok with the grey. William and James would be the centre of the team, their strength and consistency providing stability in performance. Katrina and Julia would ride at the tail – guaranteed to ride conservatively, bringing the team home.

He had asked for Mich because he wanted a trailblazer… Someone with the guts to take on a challenge and she had courage in bucketfuls. By the time the Games came around, he knew that he could make Mich lose her temper – but it was what he wanted, he needed to find her weakness so that it wouldn't come out in the Games.

He needed Mich in the team – it would be her performance that would decide if the team would finish in the medals or not.

&&&&

Horatio found Derek at his desk as expected. "Have you got a few minutes?"

Looking up Derek nodded, but gave H a quizzical look as he closed the door behind him. "Something wrong?"

"Yes and no. First I want to discuss my ideas for the team, how to get them more integrated. Then I need to talk to you about something closer to home."

Derek lifted his phone and spoke to his assistant, "Make sure that Lieutenant Caine and I are not disturbed for at least the next hour." Turning to H he put down his pen and leant back in his chair, arms folded. "I'm listening."

"I need the team to learn more about each others jobs, they are each specialists in their own fields, but if someone is sick, the case could stall unless they can cover each other. They all have basic skills in each area, but I need those basic skills to become stronger."

Derek nodded, "With a small team, stalled cases are a problem. How do you want to do this…?"

As H explained his idea, Derek began to smile. "Sounds great, I like it, and a little competition is always good for team spirit. Who is going to set the tasks?"

"It'll be the responsibility of the specialist in that area. I'll start it off with a trace hunt… Each team member will be given a small trace of some kind of material, and they have to work out where it comes from."

"That'll be easy for Frank."

H shook his head, "No it won't… He gets the most difficult item. The smallest trace I can find… What they don't realize is that the trace will lead them all to the same solution… I hope it will demonstrate the need for them to liaise together…"

"Are you going to include Sam in this?"

H nodded, "She reminds me of the ME in Miami… Alexx likes learning new things too… It might even help us out – Sam may notice things around a body in a crime scene that shouldn't be there…"

Derek grinned. "Ok, go ahead and let me know how the team handles it. Now what else did you want to talk about?" H explained what he and Mich had discussed and spoken about the night before.

Derek became concerned as he realized what H was getting at. Looking at the list of 10 names he swore softly, "Horatio, three of these people are in the top echelons of MI5. What you are hinting at is conspiracy…"

"I don't like it any more than you do Derek – the question we also have to ask is whether Mich is the only one being targeted. If, it is the obvious, that the higher people in '5' want to get some of the older agents back on the line for local stuff, we don't really have to worry. Mich can say no and leave…"

"You don't believe that…"

H sighed, "Why bring her all the way over from Miami and go to the effort of creating such a believable mission in the first place when a simple face to face meeting would suffice?"

Derek leant his chin on his hand thoughtfully, Horatio had a point. Someone had indeed gone to considerable effort to get this set up, but had probably not thought that the mission might be investigated. That in itself was a clue, the person or people behind this were extremely arrogant…

Glancing at the list, Derek could eliminate three names almost immediately. Two were out of the country, and had been for over a year, the third was dead, killed in an operation that had gone disastrously wrong. He couldn't tell H that of course, his clearance wasn't that high.

"Leave this with me H, I'll start digging on my side of the house. If you go snooping around in there, it'll cause serious problems"

H nodded, "No problem Derek, just let me know if you need anything. If you can get the original of that letter for me to analyse I would appreciate it – it would help us a lot. In the meantime, what do we do about Mich?"

Derek thought for a moment, "I can brief security at Gatcombe to keep an eye on things down there, tighten things up a little. As it's the Princes Royal's residence they won't see anything unusual in that, just thinking it's to do with operational security to do with the games. You'll be with her in the evenings and at night, so that's covered."

"What about in between?"

Derek frowned, and smiled. "The Estate's Discovery that she's driving has a tracker on board, I'll make sure that it's activated and ask the local constabulary to keep an eye on things for now."

H nodded, the precautions were small, but all Derek could do without proof that Mich was in danger. He hoped they would be enough.

&&&&

That afternoon was spent analysing video footage of each rider. For the UK based riders, this was easy, but Mich was stunned that Roger had managed to get footage of her riding from over four years ago. Encouraging the riders to spot good and bad points about each other.

After about an hour, Mich felt her eyes were turning as square as the screen in front of her. Without a doubt, her dressage weaknesses had shown up as she had known they would, but no one could find fault with her skill on the cross country course. Reluctantly, Mich accepted that Roger had a point about her jumping after seeing herself on the screen, it did seem that she was more relaxed and not working with her horse.

When the session was over, Roger made his excuses and left for London where he would be giving his initial report to the Olympic selectors about his feelings for the Games. Walking to the stables, Mich became concerned as Kyra came running up.

"Mum, Knight isn't well, I went to check him a few minutes ago and he hasn't eaten his lunch."

Quickly running to Knight's box, Mich began to swear softly, within minutes, the rest of the team were there.

"Anything we can do Mich?" James was concerned – this would be a blow to the team if Mich's best horse was out of action.

"I don't think so, he's got very dehydrated again, but he's not sweating or anything." Mich checked the horses gums, noticing how pale they were and sent Kyra for a thermometer. After a couple of minutes, she could confirm that Knight's temperature was slightly raised but not that would normally cause any concern.

"What do you think it is Mum?"

Mich sighed, "Could be shipping fever, but I'd like the vet to see him just in case." William called the vet who informed them that he would be there within half an hour. Shipping fever was fairly common in horses, and whilst technically not a disease and certainly not threatening, it could keep a horse down for a week or so, and in Knights case, this could rule him out of the Games.

"So what is this mum? None of our horses have had it before."

Mich smiled, "Think of it as jet-lag for a horse. The change in temperature between here and Miami – the re-cycled air in the plane. It has just affected him more than Dream."

After talking to the vet, who confirmed Mich's thoughts, Knight was given a course of antibiotics and a vitamin supplement to help him recover. Mich sighed, Knight would be out for the rest of the week. Making sure the horse was ok, she joined the rest of team in the arena and with Kyra riding Dream, began to help the others with their gridwork. Tomorrow Julia would help them with their dressage.

Driving home, Mich became aware of an increased number of police cars on the road and wondered what was going on. Checking her watch, she realized that H would probably make it home before her. She wondered if he had found anything out.

&&&

After dinner, Kyra disappeared to her room to chat with her friends through the net, while Amber played in the living room. Both would be meeting their tutor the following day, in some ways, Mich was relieved that Kyra wasn't coming with her. With Knight sick, there wasn't a lot for Kyra to do at the stables.

Horatio helped Mich with the plates and noticed how tired she was. "Will you be ok?"

Mich smiled at the concern in his voice, "It's just the first day Horatio, so with the tail end of the jet lag in my system and a tough day of training, I'm just feeling tired. Did you manage to get anything sorted out?"

H nodded, "Calleigh, Paul and Rhys are going to chase down the CIA connection and your dad's going to try and chase down the rest with a couple of his people…"

"If only I could get inside '5', we might get some answers…'

H frowned, "Don't you dare Mich, at least not until we know where we need to go digging. If necessary, your dad can send someone in. You don't need to get involved, you've enough to do."

Mich grumbled something under her breath, H gave her a sharp look, "Mich, until we know what's going on I need you to stay out of this, I don't want you to get dragged in and get hurt."

Mich shrugged her shoulders and changed the subject asking about the team, a little annoyed that H was getting a little too protective. Horatio was not fooled, he realized that Mich was not happy, but for now he said nothing, hoping that she would stay out of the way. However, a voice inside his head pointed out that it was unlikely that Mich would sit around and do nothing…


	31. Chapter 31

Mich was furious, for a couple of days she had suspected she was being followed and today she had intentionally taken a different route, stopping off in a small village to buy some fresh fruit. She had then driven into Reading and deliberately lost the tail, before continuing on her journey.

Within 10 minutes, the car had returned. This could only mean one thing, the Discovery she was driving had a tracker fitted. Gritting her teeth, she continued driving home as if nothing had happened, but someone was going to get a taste of her temper…

&&&

Derek cut the phone and quickly called Horatio, who was just about to leave.

As H walked into his office, he could see the concerned look on Derek's face, "Something up?"

Derek nodded, "Mich has found our tail. She lost them in Reading, so they had to use the tracker to catch her up. She didn't do anything to lose them a second time, but they are almost positive she noticed that they caught her up."

H swore and walked to the window, "She's going to ask us to take the tail off Derek, you know that. We have to give her a reason for keeping it."

Derek shook his head, "Like what? You mention personal safety and she's going to blow up like a rocket, you know that she's proud of being able to look after herself."

H moved back to the chair opposite Derek and sat down with a sigh, "I'll think on it. Have you found anything out?"

The older man sighed, "Not anything that makes me feel better, I've been able to eliminate five of the names on the list, but I cannot track that letter down anywhere, it must be in a file being held in someone's office. I'm sorry Horatio, but I really didn't think about the possibility that there was someone on the inside after Mich. I mean, it's never happened before, when an agent goes inactive, that's that… We just keep an eye on them in case something happens, but they are allowed to live a normal life, we try not to get involved."

Horatio pulled a face, Derek's answers making him even more worried, the closer they got to the Games, the more difficult it would be to keep Mich out of what was going on. "It's not your fault Derek, sometimes when you're involved too closely with something, you can't see the wood from the trees and with Mich staying in the States, you probably thought she would be safe there. Listen, can you get someone on the inside to help us?"

Derek sighed, "I already have Horatio, they're moving carefully on my instructions. If whoever is behind this finds out that we know what is going on, it could escalate the problem. The names left on my list are at the top of MI5 – which is very, very worrying – not only for Mich, but for national security."

H had to accept the other man's discretion, Derek was right, and not knowing WHY Mich had been brought over was the worst thing – if they pushed too hard, it might all blow up in their face – and Mich would get hurt, he had to avoid that as much as possible.

On top of that, Derek was also in the unenviable position of having to protect the security of his country and if he had to choose H knew which way Derek would have to go… Duty and protection of the people of Great Britain would have to be his priority, even if it meant sacrificing his daughter. H was glad he wasn't in Derek's position, he felt a responsibility to protect the people of Miami, but after what had happened over the last couple of months, knew he would no longer choose duty first…

Both men became quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts, each trying to find a way to get answers, each knowing that, for the moment, they had nothing they could use.

"Need a lift Horatio?" Derek was going down to the Hall for the weekend and it would save H a wait at the station, though the trip would be longer.

"I'd appreciate it, It'll give me time to think."

&&&

Calleigh, Paul and Rhys were also having mixed feelings about what they were trying to find out. Paul's contact was unfortunately unable to tell them anything useful, though he was able to give them the date when Phil Moore found out who he was looking for.

Swearing loudly at the bad news Rhys had surprised Calleigh, she had become accustomed to his mild mannered ways, so the expletives that came out of his mouth were totally unexpected.

"Paul, do you have a secure line?" Paul nodded curious as to what Rhys was going to do. A few moments later, both he and Calleigh were stunned as Rhys called the CIA secure switchboard direct. "Hello yes, put me through to Phil Moore please, tell him it's urgent."

From the frown on Rhys' face, Calleigh had her thoughts confirmed when Rhys acknowledged that Moore was not available. "yes, I would like to leave a message, can you tell him to call the Miami Dade FBI agent in charge as soon as he gets back. My name? William Dragon."

Calleigh stared at Rhys. "Something you want to share?"

Rhys sighed. "Mich and I worked a couple of operations together a few years before she came to Miami, she was already working for '5' and I was working for Scotland Yard. Both were related to the drugs trade. Phil Moore was sent over when we found out some information that was useful to the CIA. He later worked with Mich on another op that went wrong, she blames him for it."

Rhys sighed, "As an investigative agent, he's one of the best. I've liaised with him a few times, we work together quite well. One time we worked together, my undercover name was William. The case was known as Dragonquest, hopefully he'll put two and two together."

"Phil is a pain in the butt, but one thing I do know is that if there is trouble, he's usually somewhere nearby to find out what is going on."

Paul was about to ask a question where his secure line buzzed. Picking it up, he handed it over to Rhys. "I thought you might be available when you heard who was calling."

Rhys chuckled at a comment on the other end of the line but became serious when he explained what was happening.

Calleigh could here the swearing at the other end of the line when Phil found out he had been used. "Look Phil, it's important that we keep this between us, if your informant finds out we're on to him, it could mean trouble for H and Mich."

He listened carefully and nodded his head, "Ok, it's in your hands then. I'll wait to hear from you. Yeah, this number, I know you've met Paul Clarkson, it's his line." Rhys listened for another moment or two and then cut the connection.

"He'll be back in touch in a few days, hopefully he'll have a name for us – his informant is outside the Agency… it'll take a day or two to track him down."

&&&

Derek pulled up outside the lodge, he and Horatio trading a look when they saw that Mich was already home. "Derek, why don't you take the girls up to the Hall while I speak to Mich, I don't want them to hear anything that might get them scared."

"You sure Horatio? Mich in a temper is not easy to deal with."

H nodded, "I have an idea that might just work…"

Walking into the house, they came face-to-face with a stony-faced Mich, eyes hard as flint. Horatio almost smiled, she really was amazing when she was angry.

"I need to talk to you two…"

"Just a moment sweetheart," Mich bridled at H's words, but when he called Kyra and Amber and told them that they were having dinner at the hall with their Gran, they quickly put on their jackets and left with Derek. Mich said nothing until they had left, accepting that H did not want to cause a scene in front of them, though she was angry that her dad had got out of the situation.

As soon as she was sure they were gone, Mich rounded on H, "What the hell is going on, did you think I wouldn't notice you put a tail on me? For god sake Horatio, I managed to lose you in Miami, in a city I barely knew, and you think I'm not going to notice I'm being followed near my own home. Oh, yeah and while we're at it, don't think I didn't realize that you have an electronic tracker on me too. Get rid of them."

"Mich…" H walked towards her, arms outstretched to give comfort, but Mich backed away. When Horatio held her, she ended up giving in, but not this time.

"Don't you 'Mich' me… I want the tail and tracker off Horatio, I don't care what you have to do – I can look after myself, you know that."

H sighed, "I didn't say you couldn't. Your dad and I are fully aware of what you can do… However, until we find out what is going on, we want you to be watched."

Mich's temper grew, "Watched! What about the people who might be watching me? You've made their job a hundred times easier – instead of following me, where I might see them and work out who it is, they can follow my tail where I can't see them."

H acknowledged that she had a point, which calmed her slightly, but still refused. "Mich I know you can look after yourself, but if you keep that tail and something goes wrong, you'll have back up nearby. Alone, you have no back-up and I can't be there like I can at home."

"I can deal with it Horatio, call them off."

"No…"

Mich's temper exploded, "Call them off Horatio, or I will tell them myself – and find that tracker too."

H stood his ground, knowing that he could make her give in, "No you won't, you'll leave everything as it is."

Mich turned her back to him, knowing it was her way of shutting him out H closed the distance between them and stood behind her. "Listen to me Mich, I want you to keep everything as it is. Look at the people following you not as a tail, but as an escort."

Mich spun around in fury, "An Escort!"

H gave her a half smile, "Only the best for my girl."

Mich gave him an incredulous look, but could no longer be so angry, "I don't believe you… You…You…"

"Over-protective pain in the ass?"

H chuckled, and, now that he was close enough, grabbed her quickly and pulled her close. When he continued talking, his voice was quiet and serious, "Mich, I know you don't like it, but it would put my mind at ease if you leave things as they are. I can't be with you and until your dad and I find out what is going on, I want you to be safe. Is that too much to ask?"

Mich sighed and snuggled closer, "You are an over-protective pain in the ass, but I'm not going to be able to change you now." She began to shake and seeing tears in her eyes, H was suddenly more concerned than he had been about her temper.

"Mich, what's wrong?"

Mich began sobbing, frustration showing clearly on her face, "I hate this… Not being able to do anything about it… I've always been able to go and find things out, do something about the situation, but now I can't, I feel so… helpless…"

Horatio held her tightly. For someone as independent and self confident as she was, a feeling of helplessness was so alien to Mich that it truly scared her. "Easy babe, we'll get through this…"

"This was supposed to be a good break for us… Time for us to be together more, God knows we don't get enough time at home. But now I almost wish we were back in Miami…"

"Almost?"

Mich stopped crying, "Being here means you've finally been able to meet my family and for me to fulfill a promise made to my Grand-dad a long time ago…"

"To represent your country, I know, your Gran told me… Look, you work on being the best you can be to help the team get that medal and leave the rest to me… Ok?" Mich nodded, H smiled and gave her a sideways look, "Even if it means keeping your 'escort' and the tracker?"

Mich gave a soft chuckle, "Okay… But only if you tell me what's going on when you find out."

H smiled, and gave her a soft kiss, "Deal."

&&&

Walking up to the Hall, Mich was thoughtful.

"Horatio, what about the girls, do you think they're in any danger?"

H smiled, "Not really, but your dad and I have taken care of that – the fact that Amber is going to school with her cousins is not a problem. We have someone watching the school, and she gets picked up by your cousin's wife every day. Kyra is either with you, or the tutor at the hall. The estate manager has been warned to keep a look out for anyone acting suspiciously."

Mich sighed, "At least that's a worry off my mind."

H gave her a look, realizing that something was bothering her. "Sweetheart, is everything ok?"

She looked at him, a half smile on her face, "Nothing I can't handle." Seeing the look on H's face, she continued, "Just that Roger is being an ass. He's deliberately trying to wind me up, it's so annoying, but I know he's doing it to get me off the team."

"What's going on?

"Oh you know, challenging my ability and professionalism. Saying that I'm not good enough for the team, etc. etc."

"You want me to have a word?"

Mich looked at him and chuckled, "What! And let him realize that he's getting to me a little, no way. I try and ignore his snide little comments as best I can and just do the exercises. So far I've managed to do everything he's asked of me and with Julia and William helping me with my dressage which is my weakest point, he can't say I'm not working hard."

H chuckled, "Damn right, you've worked your ass off to get here. So, what are you up to tomorrow?"

Mich pulled a face, "He wants us to switch horses tomorrow, I have to ride Julia's horse for jumping training. He's really got it in for me."

"How so?" Mich explained about the problems that Julia had had with her horse over the last year. "I hope I don't do more damage. Some horses can back right off if they're pushed too hard at the wrong time. I pity James though – he gets Dream tomorrow. You know how he is with people he doesn't know"

H nodded, knowing that Mich was concerned, but didn't say anything in case he made her even more worried. "So what about Sunday?"

"Off to Greenwich Park to walk the Cross-country course – the others have already seen it, but now we have to walk it as a team. Apparently there are a couple of tough fences. Then we'll go back to Gatcombe to discuss it. I want to take the camera to photograph the tough ones – I might be able to work them out."

As they walked up the hill, arms linked, they had no idea they were being watched.

&&&

The Countess smiled to herself, she had taken the last half hour to have a chat with Kyra and found out some information that could help her plans. Observing their progress up the slight hill from the lodge, she was certain of Mich and H's feelings for each other and realized that each knew how the other felt. However, getting the two of them to take the final step was not going to be easy.

"So, you're telling me that your mum is not going to push because she knows what H went through after Marisol died?"

Kyra nodded, "Yeah and H won't do anything because he thinks that mum will be reminded too much of what happened to Jack." Kyra was quite comfortable about calling her mum's late husband by his first name – he wasn't her biological father – and she couldn't even remember him that well… Besides, H was her dad now. "If they both knew the truth…"

The Countess chuckled, "I like the way your mind works young lady, but we have to be careful. We can't let either of them see what we are up to. Your mum will be easier to convince."

Kyra was stunned, knowing that her mum could be stubborn, "How do you figure that Gran?"

"It's quite simple sweetie – if Horatio asks her, she will know that he is no longer traumatized by Marisol's death and her excuse is no longer valid."

"Why can't we make her ask Horatio – wouldn't it work the same way?"

The Countess laughed, "Possibly, but one thing I know about your mum is that she's an old fashioned girl at heart… How does she react when Horatio does something for her – something she's not expecting."

"You mean like when he gets her a gift?" Kyra thought for a moment, "Usually she tells him off for spending money, but you can tell she's pleased and when they go out she always tries to look her best, dad always compliments her."

"Kyra, Horatio is the kind of man who wants to make sure that his family doesn't have to worry about anything, to protect them from trouble. Your mum challenges that idea, but inside she really likes it, she's had a tough life and she appreciates Horatio making the decisions she used to have to take on her own. She likes her man to be strong. Let me ask you something, when they have an argument, who wins?"

"Sometimes mum, sometimes dad, why?"

"Who wins the important ones?"

Kyra thought for a while, a smile slowly crossing her face, softly she spoke after realizing the truth, "Dad… When he thinks that something is really important, he always wins, mum fights him, but she ends up giving in because he's usually right."

"Your mum likes Horatio to take charge of things Kyra, so I think in something as important as this, she would like him to do the asking, don't you?"

Kyra smiled and nodded, "So how do we make dad ask the question?"

"Sweetie, you leave that to me, all I need you to do is to occasionally remind your mum how much she and Horatio love each other."

&&&

If Derek was surprised by Mich's good mood, he said nothing, but looked relieved to see that she was ok and from the slight nod of Horatio's head realized that she had accepted his decision. In turn, Mich did not notice the glances traded between her eldest daughter and grandmother, which was probably just as well.

Dinner between the six of them was quiet, but the atmosphere was a happy one. Amber talking about her cousins' school, she had asked if she could join them, and had become the centre of attention in the small classroom for a day or two and her outgoing nature had earned her a lot of new friends.

"Daddy, it's one of the girls birthdays tomorrow, can I go to her party? Mummy will be with the horses and Kyra helping her, so can I go…Please?"

H chuckled, "Well I don't mind, but I have to work tomorrow. If someone will take you…"

Derek smiled, "I'll take Amber to the party, I have a free weekend so it's not a problem."

Amber grinned with delight, knowing that she would be spending time with her grandfather alone. Kyra raised her eyebrows, catching her sister's smug expression, but wasn't bothered. Knight was feeling better after his fever, and Mich had agreed that she could do some flatwork in the arena tomorrow while she and the other team members were discussing something or other.

She was really looking forward to going to Greenwich on Sunday and walking the course with her mum, it would be an experience that she may never have a chance of again.

&&&

Mich was struggling hard not to lose her temper. She had just been able to coax Julia's horse through a complex combination of fences and Roger was tearing her apart, criticising everything she had done. William had almost fallen with Dream who had refused halfway through the exercise and was now refusing to jump.

William had tried to apologise, but Roger had interrupted, saying that if Mich was a good trainer, then anyone should be able to ride her horse – it was obvious that the selectors had been misguided in choosing her for the team. Either that, or her horse was useless.

Julia had moved quietly close to Mich and put her had on her wrist, calming her down. Fortunately the session was over, and Roger stalked away complaining that they were the worst team that he had ever worked with. Once he was out of earshot, Mich exploded.

It took the team a few minutes to calm her down, William insisting that Mich got on Dream and at least popped him over a couple of fences to settle him down so he would not be affected too badly by the session. Once she was on board, Dream executed the exercise well, though hesitantly after the bad experience he had just had.

Watching from nearby, Roger smiled, today had confirmed to him just how good Mich was. Julia's horse would be slightly more confident after Mich's good handling, though he hoped that Dream would be ok. He had heard that the horse had been badly treated before coming into Mich's hands and his reaction to a strange rider had confirmed that the horse would only go well for someone he trusted.

As he watched the team from his vantage point, his eye was drawn to where Kyra was riding, smiling, he noticed the similarity in their style, though Kyra was able to hold her position in the saddle much better. He knew that Mich had had several bad falls in her career, and knew they had affected her back.

Watching Kyra carefully, his eyes narrowed, the teenager was good, very good. A few minutes later, he saw Mich walk into the centre of the arena and saw how her presence sharpened up her daughters riding immediately. A few words of praise from the team made Kyra smile shyly, but he saw pride on Mich's face.

Suddenly he knew what her weakness was – she would take any criticism of her own skill and say nothing, but she would definitely defend her daughter. He would have to be careful though, he didn't want to scare Kyra off, or antagonize the Lieutenant who, though he wouldn't interfere with Mich's training, would definitely have something to say if Kyra became too upset.


	32. Chapter 32

Mich sighed and sank back into the armchair, Amber had just gone in the bath and Kyra was online to her teacher in the States, sending over some homework that she had completed the day before. Though it was already 7pm, Horatio still wasn't home which was upsetting her slightly.

Telling herself off, she tried to relax, but couldn't. Roger was still keeping up the pressure on her, but she had more or less become immune to his comments and was doing as she was instructed. Roger was a great coach and she could already feel the results in Dream's performance after the second week of training. Knight was no longer making her worry as for the past four sessions, Roger had suggested that Kyra ride him so her mum could continue working Dream.

Mich had accepted, knowing that Dream needed the training, but Knight just needed sharpening up – which Kyra was perfectly capable of doing under instruction. Initially she had been wary, but Kyra had enjoyed the first two sessions, commenting that Roger was ok to her.

Today however had been slightly different, Kyra had made a mistake and Roger had told her off. Kyra had accepted it and Mich had said nothing, he had been right after all, what bothered her was the comment that had come across at the end of the session.

Roger had told Kyra that she was extremely lucky to be able to take part in the training sessions, but that she should pay better attention or she could ruin a good horse. Mich had been a little annoyed, but Kyra had seemed to be ok and accepted the criticism.

Later however, when Mich had spoken to her, she had admitted being a little upset. "Don't worry mum, I know Roger is a hard-ass, I'll be ok, as long as you're happy with what I'm doing, I don't care about him…"

Mich had given her daughter a hug, reminding her that she wouldn't have agreed to the situation in the first place if she didn't think Kyra was good enough. "I'm more than happy sweetie, you're holding your own against the best riders in Britain, just proving that you're as good as I thought you could be… I'm very proud of you."

Kyra had grinned and disappeared off for lunch with the other grooms. Walking to meet the other riders, Mich couldn't help but notice that David paid close attention to Kyra, giving her a hug and talking quietly to her. At first she had smiled, thinking how H did the same for her…

She glanced up at the clock… Where was H? This past week he had been coming home slightly later each night, but this was the latest yet… She thought about giving him a call, but decided to leave it for later, in Miami H occasionally stayed late to catch up on paperwork, meaning that he wouldn't be home until past 9pm.

Sighing, she felt sad that H had slipped into his regular routine; she had been hoping he would take his work a little easier here in the UK, but he was a creature of habit almost as much as she was. Standing up, she walked towards the stairs to spend time with her daughters, not wanting to be alone, feeling the emptiness in her stomach that signified that her depression was returning…

&&&

H was not doing paperwork. He was currently looking through a microscope and trying not to chuckle at what he could see. The team had worked together to find out that the traces of paint, fibers and other trace materials that he had given them were from a Landrover Discovery; namely the Discovery that he and Mich used on a regular basis.

The team had enjoyed the challenge so much, that they had asked him to continue setting the challenges for them to learn. Frank was now working to identify a group of fingerprints – H had asked Eric to send over a copy of Stewart Otis's mutilated fingerprints, while the AV tech and ballistics expert were trying each others jobs on another challenge.

Jo was currently trying to work out a trace that she had in front of her. She had correctly split part of the sample for chemical analysis, but was currently trying to see if she could notice anything else under the microscope. H was smiling, because while she had identified that it was a natural material – sand – she had not separated out the parts to tell what kind of sand…

"God Horatio, what are you doing to me? I'm going to wake up at night imagining that I'm being swallowed by a beach."

H roared with laughter, "Yeah, but which beach would that be?"

Jo threw a balled up scrap of paper at him, "Oh YOU..." She paused and began to chuckle, knowing that she had been letting herself get upset over the challenge and that H's teasing had helped to ease her mind.

"We're lucky that this is not a case, it would take me forever to identify."

H smiled, "If this were a case, you would be running DNA and Frank would be running the trace, but it is something that you should know more about – you never know when you need to cover someone else's work for a while."

Wishing her goodnight, he left the lab quietly and began swearing under his breath when he saw the time. He had promised himself not to stay later than 7pm, but he had broken that promise tonight.

Watching him leave, Jo smiled. She could now understand why he had attracted Mich and the bond between them was strong, she wished she had more time, but the order had come out – somehow she had to get between them.

&&&

Arriving at home, H was surprised to find the house in darkness. Quietly he let himself in and hung his coat by the door before walking into the kitchen. Mich had obviously cleaned everything away and seeing the kitchen clock he winced, 9.30pm. Mich was going to be a little upset.

Opening the fridge, he saw the tossed salad and the chicken that had been prepared and sighed. Mich had prepared one of his favourite light meals realizing that he was going to be late when she had arrived home to find him absent.

Leaving the meal for a moment, he walked upstairs to see if she was ok. He had to admit that he was feeling a little guilty, he hadn't really needed to stay with Jo at the lab, he knew she would work out the trace, but the light-hearted moment he had shared with her had eased some of the stress he was putting himself under. Unfortunately, it had also made him miss his train…

First he checked on Amber and Kyra, who were fast asleep and then made his way to see Mich. Opening the door he was a little shocked by what he saw. Curled up into a tight ball, holding tightly to the pillow that he used, Mich had obviously been crying as he could see the tear tracks down her face.

He hesitated, part of him wanted to leave her alone, now that she seemed to be sleeping peacefully, yet another part wanted to wake her to find out what was wrong. Cursing, he became angry with himself, Mich had probably needed him tonight for some reason and he hadn't been there for her.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he sat slowly on the bed and stroked Mich's cheek gently. She stirred but didn't wake, which worried H more than ever. Roger was pushing the team, not so much physically – Mich did more at home, but the additional discussion work and stable work was leaving her exhausted in the evenings. This week she had been going to bed at the same time as Kyra to try and get some rest.

Gritting his teeth for a moment, he decided to wake her, couldn't let her sleep without finding out what had happened. "Mich, sweetheart…" He gave her a gentle shake, relieved to see the eyelids flutter and open slowly, a soft smile appearing on her face when she saw him in front of her. "Hey, are you ok?"

Mich nodded, "I am now, though I felt really bad earlier."

"What happened?"

Mich hesitated, not wanting him to see her pain or worry him, but she had promised… "I got an attack… I was downstairs, trying to relax, but I couldn't so I decided to stay with the girls for a bit. Then Amber went to bed and Kyra and I spoke for a while, then I came in here."

"God Horatio, I haven't had one of these in ages… Why now?" The tears were beginning to form in her eyes again.

H pulled her tightly to him. Mich had told him about the attacks of depression and loneliness she got shortly after he had moved in with her. The attacks were a symptom of post traumatic stress disorder, and though Mich had realized that the attacks were caused by her work for MI5 and had got out to prevent the condition getting worse, she did occasionally get a flashback which would cause a reaction.

Living with H had reduced the attacks considerably and the last had been over a year ago. "I don't know Mich, quite probably it's the stress – not only from Roger giving you hell, but also the fact that we can't find out what is going on over at '5' or why you were wanted back here."

"Why didn't you call me?"

Mich looked at him, "I tried, your mobile was off… I thought you were in a meeting or something, so I didn't call your office." Her voice had a slight edge to it and H knew why, he never turned of his phone. He quickly took his phone out of his pocket and noticed that it was, in fact, off.

H couldn't work it out, "Sorry sweetheart, I didn't even realize… I got held up and then missed my train, I should have called you."

Mich said nothing, but she didn't need to, the pain in H's eyes was enough for her to know that he was sorry, "It's ok, you're home now, let me get your dinner together." When H pushed her to stay put she shook her head and insisted on getting up, she needed his company.

H followed her downstairs trying not to show his concern, tomorrow he would have to start putting pressure on Derek and place a call to Calleigh. Mich was going to break down if he didn't get some answers soon.

&&&

Calleigh was having trouble of her own. Trying to keep up Horatio's work ethic was tiring her out and she couldn't work out how he coped. True, he had Mich at home to help him relax and he had recently cut back on his work load due to stress, but still…

On top of the work was the shock that Rhys wasn't just the mild-mannered detective that he had led them all to believe. On their way back from Paul Clarkson's office a few days before, he had asked her not to talk to the rest of the team about his undercover work. "It's all in the past Calleigh, I don't want them thinking I'm some kind of James Bond character…"

Calleigh had chuckled, but it had bothered her a little, though she wouldn't admit it. Rhys and Eric had hit off really well and had already been diving together on a weekend off. Natalia and Ryan were off looking at various things for 'their' house, though living at Ryan's larger apartment; Natalia had grumbled that it was 'strictly functional' and needed to be made more 'homey'. Calleigh wondered how she was going to manage that with Ryan's OCD…

They had also settled on a date – which had surprised most of the team with the outcome. Natalia wanted summer, Ryan wanted Spring or Autumn, not wanting to wear a tux in Miami's heat. As Natalia had become more grumpy during the short break, Ryan had winked at Calleigh and whispered in Natalia's ear before leaving the room.

Natalia had stood, stunned for a moment, then began to smile softly. "What did he say?" Rhys had been curious.

Natalia blushed, "He asked if 14th February was a good compromise."

Eric had chuckled, "I'd say it was…" Natalia had grinned and walked out of the room.

Checking the time, Calleigh sighed, it was after 8pm local time. She still had two files to go over, so decided to get a coffee to help her through another hour of work. Walking to the small break room, she saw that Ryan and Rhys were talking in Trace – obviously discussing a case as they were comparing photographs.

As she returned ten minutes later, she noticed that the two of them had gone and sighed. Sitting down in H's chair, she opened the first file…

"You're going to end up like H if you go down this road…"

Startled, she looked up to see Rhys leaning against the door. "The work needs to be done Rhys."

Rhys shook his head, "Not when you're dead on your feet." He walked quietly across the room and held out his hand, "Mich told me to make sure you didn't fall into the same trap and I am going to do just that. Time to leave ma'am…"

"But…"

"No buts Calleigh, I made a promise. Look, tomorrow you can leave the case work to the rest of us – I know you have ballistics evidence to go over, but there is no need to do the trace that goes with it. I'll help you if you like."

Calleigh chuckled, "Mich was right, you are a silver tongued rogue…"

Rhys chuckled, "Well she should know, I used it on her enough."

Calleigh suddenly felt jealous, though she couldn't quite explain why, "It sounds like she had the pick of the men… I've heard about you, Robert, Jack and now she has H…"

Rhys hesitated, "I wouldn't quite say that Cal, it's true that H is probably the guy she's been looking for most of her life, but Robert was mixed up in something that she had to stay away from and Jack wasn't the good guy most people think he was." He fell silent, not wanting to say more.

"And you?"

Rhys gave her a sideways look and chuckled, "Calleigh, there never was any me and Mich… I used a codeword from an old case to tell her I had news, she just played along."

Calleigh stared at him, not quite being able to reason things out. Rhys pulled her out of the chair and led her out of the door, just giving her time to lock up. "But the two of you are so close…"

Rhys smiled as he helped her on with her coat and whispered in her ear. "That's because we're family Cal… She's my cousin. Now, will that little piece of news stop you from pushing me away, because I would really like to take you out to dinner."

Calleigh looked up with a soft smile across her face, "I thought you'd never ask…"

&&&

Eric chuckled, Rhys had walked in that morning with a smile on his face that was contagious and it wasn't difficult to guess the reason why. "So, finally, you managed to get Calleigh to go out for dinner… Did you have a good night?"

"Right up until I dropped her off at her door…"

Eric's face softened, "Look after her Rhys, she's had some tough times over the years and she really helped me a lot when Marisol died. I even thought that I might try something at one point, but she was with someone else, then Kate came along…"

Rhys nodded, "I know Eric, it was one of the first things I noticed when I arrived – you're all one big family here, it's an atmosphere that I love and I know that is was part of the reason why Mich stuck around after she and H broke up, before she found out that she was expecting Amber. She had been planning to return home."

Eric was stunned, "I never knew, we all thought it was because of the business. Though I have to admit, we all hoped she and H would get back together – there's something about the two of them together…"

Rhys nodded, "H has helped her so much. You never knew her before Eric, but the Mich I see now, is almost the Mich I remember from when we were kids, before '5' screwed up her life." He paused seeing the look on Eric's face, "I can't say anymore, but having you guys around… She sees Kate as a younger sister, which automatically makes you part of her family."

"She has a soft spot for Ryan, though all she'll say is that he helped her stay in Miami – he's the pain in the ass little brother, always needing to be bailed out of trouble by big brother…"

Eric smiled, "H… Yeah, he's bailed us all out at some time or other… So what about the girls and Frank?"

Rhys laughed, "Natalia and Calleigh, well, cousins, sisters, maybe and Alexx, well, she's either mom or big sis, depending on your point of view… Frank, well what else could he be, Uncle of course."

As the two of them chuckled, Calleigh put her head around the door, "Time for work you two, you've got a gunshot victim over at Biscayne, Frank will meet you there."

Grabbing their kits, the two of them headed for the door when Calleigh cell rang, "Duquesne…" She caught Rhys' arm, "Hi Horatio, no nothing yet… Oh, ok, yeah, I'll contact Paul."

She looked up at Rhys, concern showing on her face, "H is asking for information, he's getting worried about Mich, said that last night she an attack or something, do you know what he's talking about?"

Rhys nodded, "It means I need to chase up Phil, or Mich is going to break down. Can you arrange a meeting with Paul for when I get back?"

Calleigh nodded and blushed when Rhys whispered his thanks for the evening before in her ear. Neither realized they were being watched.

Rick Stetler gave a slight smile, he had been waiting for an opportunity to push Calleigh out and now it looked like he had a reason for doing so. He would have to be careful though, there was a lot he didn't know about the exchange officer and it could backfire. He would have to catch Calleigh alone.

&&&

H sighed, the call to Calleigh had been a cry for help more than anything else, it had been three weeks since Mich had arrived and they were still in the dark as to what was going on. He didn't know what else to do. Staring out of the window he had a fright when a tap on his door made him jump.

"Sorry to bother you H, do you have a minute?" Frank walked in and closed the door behind him. The look on his face made H instantly alert.

"What is it?"

Frank smiled softly, "I know part of the reason why '5' want Mich back…"

"Talk to me."

Frank sat down and pulled his chair a little closer to the desk, "A friend over at drug squad just contacted me, a couple of weeks ago, they landed a big fish who brings drugs in and out of the country. He's been giving them all sorts of information. They contacted me to corroborate some of his story, I suggested that they bring you in, there are big implications for Miami too. They're thinking about it, especially after that big human trafficking case you broke, it seems that the people involved are also in the European drug trade."

H narrowed his eyes, the 'Harem' case was getting bigger and bigger with each passing day – Scotland Yard had contacted Interpol, when information about involvement in three other European countries had come to light. The case was now so large that he was no longer being kept in the loop and Paul was dealing with the US side. He wasn't really bothered about the European connection, knowing that Paul would be fully capable of handling the Miami side. There was something more he was concerned about.

"What did he say about Mich?"

Frank smiled, "It turns out that Mich hurt the Miami trade more than you realized, taking out the main distributors, and the most corrupt agents and judges. The top bosses have been forced to come out a little more into the open. Some of them have been identified."

H's face reflected his emotions, "They want her to take them out?"

Frank shook his head, "No, she's too high profile publicly now, if something went wrong, '5' would be exposed, and so would CIA, they can't afford that."

H was confused, "So why do they want her?"

Frank smiled, "To train up her replacement…"

&&&

Mich was seething, once again Roger was coming out with snide little comments, but that was not what bothered her. He was also picking on Kyra, who was getting upset, but hiding it well. Roger was making them focus on their 'lateral work', dressage movements which involved the horse moving sideways as well as forwards.

Kyra had not had a lot of experience with this work, not needing it at her level and it was showing. Roger pulled a face, "Oh come on Kyra, RIDE the damn horse, STOP being a passenger for goodness sake." Kyra swallowed, and tried the movement again.

"Ok, STOP. I've seen enough, this is completely useless. Your mother may have instructed you well in your jumping, but your dressage is useless, you have absolutely no style or ability… Forget competing at the top level sweetie, you have no hope. Take the horse back to his stable, now."

Kyra burst into tears, trying her hardest to help her mum, but she could no longer take the abuse Roger was throwing in her direction. Turning Knight to leave, she caught her mum's eye.

Mich rode over to her and gave her a hug which helped to ease Kyra's tears. "You did well Kyra, don't listen to him, now go… I'll be along in a moment."

"MICH, don't you DARE undermine me…" Roger stood in the centre of the arena scowling at the riders around him, "You lot are without a doubt the hardest group I've had to work with. I'll be lucky to get a decent result out of any of you…" He was about to continue when he realized Mich was very purposefully riding towards him.

"How dare you…" Mich's voice was deadly, the rest of the team looked at each other, dreading what was about to happen, knowing that Mich had had enough…

"How dare you treat my daughter like that, she has been taking part in these sessions at your suggestion. Today you have been asking her to do things that she would never be expected to do in competition, yet she has given her all. You tell me not to undermine you… How DARE you undermine my daughter's confidence… Call yourself a coach… You are no more than a dictator, grumbling because you cannot have your own way…"

Mich turned Dream around, heading for the gate. "Mich if you leave this arena, you are off the team, don't ever come back. I mean it."

Mich paused and turned Dream in a perfect half pirouette to face Roger down, "If this is what it means to be on the team, you can keep it. No team is worth more than my daughter's happiness…" She turned again and rode back to the stable.


	33. Chapter 33

Mich quietly rode Dream into the stable yard and sighed, once again she had lost control of her temper, but she didn't care. Kyra was her daughter and Mich would move heaven and earth to make sure she was ok. She could hear Kyra sobbing, but also a soft comforting voice that made her give a half smile.

Dismounting, she led Dream into his stable and caught sight of David, his arms closed around Kyra's shoulders, holding her tightly. Mich sighed, this was a complication she could do without, David was six years older and though he was probably helping Kyra a great deal at the moment, Mich wasn't sure if she would be happy if this relationship went further.

Leaving Dream for a moment, she walked into Knights box where David pulled away abruptly, trying to avoid her gaze. Kyra threw herself at her mum, "Oh mum I'm so sorry… It's all my fault…"

"Kyra, don't you even think that. Roger was being an ass and I don't care if he kicks me off the team. I'll call Mike the estate manager and ask him to prepare two of the stables at the hall and arrange transport to get us there. We are not staying here a minute longer than we have to. Now go to the bathroom, wash your face and dry your eyes, I don't want Gran seeing you like this, she'll go berserk and god knows what Horatio would do…"

Kyra started to chuckle, "Roger's lucky we're not in Miami, or he would find dad's Glock pointed between his eyes…"

Mich smiled at Kyra's attempt at a joke, "Probably… Now, go and sort yourself out a little before we go home…" as Kyra walked out, David turned to follow, but Mich stopped him, "Mind telling me what's going on?"

David hesitated, "Nothing…" Seeing Mich's eyebrow raise, he swallowed, "Honest Mich, I… I like Kyra a lot, but I know she's still only fifteen. I promise, I'm not doing anything… I just like to be with her, she's good fun."

Mich smiled softly, "David, I don't mind you and Kyra being together, as long as it's nothing more than a close friendship, but don't let me catch you trying anything. Even worse, don't let Horatio catch you trying anything…"

David nodded, "I understand, would it be ok to take her out one afternoon – the grooms are talking about going to the cinema next weekend – we have the afternoon free on Sunday."

Mich nodded, "As long as there's a group of you, I don't mind, but I don't think it would be a good idea to go out just the two of you… I don't want any misunderstandings…"

David gave a relieved smile, "No problem, I agree, but I hope Kyra won't be too upset when you leave, we've got quite close… I'd rather wait a couple of years to see if she still likes me as much as she says…"

Mich chuckled, "If she's anything like me, she'll be happy to hang on a while…" David nodded and left, hearing the sound of James' voice in the yard. Mich sighed, at least moving the horses to the Hall would mean that H would not find out about Kyra's crush on David… If that was all it was…

Putting away the horses tack, she turned when she heard Kyra coming back, curious when she saw the confused expression on her daughter's face.

"What's up?"

"I don't know mum. Roger just stopped me, he was really nice, wants to talk to the two of us in his office…'

Mich pulled a face and snorted, "Well I don't want to speak to him."

Kyra sat on the box, "Mum, he insisted, it was weird; he said he knew you wouldn't want to speak to him, but said that it was really important. He was almost begging me, what's going on?"

Mich looked at her daughter curiously, "I don't know, maybe we should find out. He wants both of us?" Kyra nodded, Mich shrugged her shoulders, "Well I suppose we should go, at least I can tell him to his face that the horses will be out of here tonight. We can find out if there are any local competitions on and have some fun there. At least our time here won't be wasted."

Mich and Kyra walked across the stable yard together to Roger's office curious as to what he wanted. Tapping politely on the door, Mich pushed it open at Roger's answer and walked in. As always his face was impassive, not giving anything away.

"Thank you for coming, please take a seat, both of you."

Mich scowled, "I'd rather stand, we're not going to be here long. I want to see if William will let me borrow his box to transport my horses to the Hall."

Roger chuckled, surprising her, "Mich, please sit down, you are going to be here longer than you think."

Mich hesitated, but then sat down on the offered chair, Kyra following her mum's lead, remaining silent, not knowing why she'd been included. Roger leant forwards, elbows on his desk, hands touching, chin resting on his fingertips.

"So, finally I managed to get Mich Bailey to lose her famous temper…"

"If you're going to insult me…"

"No insult intended Mich, in fact, I'm glad that you held out so long, it proves that I was right. There were several people who were against your selection, people who said you could never be a team player."

Mich frowned, "You were one of them."

Roger sighed, "To the contrary Mich, I was the one who pushed for you to be on the team…" He stayed quiet for a moment, letting his words sink in. "Others were afraid that you wouldn't be able to take the pressure, you're the oldest team member, and have been riding on the American circuit. If Britain doesn't come home with a medal – you will get the blame."

Mich shrugged her shoulders, "Won't be the first time I get blamed for something not my fault, I've got broad shoulders, I can take it."

Roger smiled, "I know, but I had to prove it. From day one I've been trying to break you down without success. It wasn't until I saw how proud you were of Kyra that I realized where your weakness was. That's why I suggested for her to join the training sessions, but she's almost as tough as you are."

Mich and Kyra traded glances – what the hell was going on? Roger took a breath and continued. "Kyra, I'm sorry I was so hard on you, but it soon became obvious to me that the only way to get your mum to lose it, was to break you down, which is what happened today. For the record, I think that for your age, you are one of the best and most gifted riders I've seen for a long time. Hardly anyone would have managed some of the exercises I have done with you recently."

Kyra stared at him and Mich was confused, "Then why?"

Roger sat back in his chair, "Mich, the most common cause of a team losing a medal is because they cannot work together – when they fight between themselves. Making you the scapegoat has created the one thing most coaches crave – the team has pulled together quickly and strongly. Look how you are helping each other out – working with each others horses…"

He paused, "Julia's horse is now jumping with all his old confidence thanks to your determination and empathy. James has shown himself to be a good team captain, organizing the individual members. Katrina's confidence has improved and William has finally proved how determined he can be when he puts his mind to it. You have also improved your dressage on Dream to the extent that I now think he is the better choice for the Games over Knight."

Mich nodded, she too had felt the improvement, she chuckled as the realization hit her. "You set yourself up on purpose. You knew that by becoming the bad guy, turning us all against you, that we would band together. You took a big chance, it could have blown up in your face."

Roger nodded, "You're right, and it was heading that way because Kyra held out a lot longer than I thought she would. I want to speak to the whole team in a moment, but first I have something to ask."

&

Mich was stunned, "Are you serious?"

Kyra looked at her mum, tears streaming down her face, not because she was upset, but because at the age of 15 she was being offered a chance in a million.

Roger chuckled, "Mich you've coached your daughter so well, how could I not make the offer?"

Mich could barely answer him, "But I only just took over Kyra's coaching this year, my assistant did all the basics with her."

"And who trained your assistant?" Mich blushed, "Mich, I've seen Kate Delko ride, it's obvious that you've coached her too. You have great skill and ability as a rider, but as a coach you are, in my opinion, one of the best I have ever seen. You've proved that here with the rest of the team. Now, are you going to accept my offer?"

Mich hesitated, Roger had just offered Kyra a place to train at his centre for the rest of the summer. "Mich, the week after the Olympics, there is a junior championship at Blenheim Park. I was given a wildcard entry for anyone I thought suitable. I would like to give it to Kyra, her attitude is something that is a great example to all young riders."

"But who would she ride?"

"I was hoping you would lend her Knight while she is here. She can train with the team, but when you guys are off doing something else, I'll prepare her for the competition. She only has four weeks."

Kyra held her breath, knowing that the slightest word from her could change her mother's mind. Mich nodded her head, "I'm quite happy for Kyra to compete, but I will have to speak to her father about staying here to the end of summer. I'm not happy about her staying in the groom's accommodation."

Kyra gave a cry of delight and hugged her mum, "But mum, why do you need to speak to dad? Can't I stay at the Hall with Gran?"

Mich chuckled, "The Hall is too far away Kyra, but who said I was talking about Horatio? Your father lives close by the centre, maybe he will agree to let you stay with him."

Kyra stared at her mum then burst into tears again, her emotions getting the better of her. Roger smiled and left them to talk, indicating that he was going to speak to the rest of the team. "Mum, do you think he will? I mean he doesn't know me."

Mich smiled softly, "Kyra, I don't think you have to worry about that, he's already asked to meet you." Holding her daughter tightly, Mich blinked away the tears that were forming, Kyra was happy and for the moment, nothing else in the world mattered.

&&&

H was thoughtful, Frank's news made sense, yet there was still something that was bugging him. "Why didn't they just ask her and be done with it?"

Frank shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know H, that's what you or I would have done, but we're not '5'. They have strange ways of doing things over there. I guess it's what happens when you're always working in the 'secret' world, when you come back to the normal one you can't always break the habit."

H nodded his agreement, "Thanks Frank, your information has helped a lot."

As Frank stood to leave, he paused, "Horatio, there's something else you should know, I've heard a few rumours going around the building. I personally don't believe them, but you may need to watch your back."

H narrowed his eyes, "Rumours? Regarding what?"

"You… and Jo Flynn…"

H was startled, "What! There's nothing…"

Frank gave a half smile, "Horatio, people are talking, it's been noted that you and Jo have been working late recently – and she always leaves about five or ten minutes after you."

H was confused, "But there are nights when I'm here alone. Jo leaves, I see her passing…"

Frank shrugged, "I'm just letting you know what I'm hearing H… Watch out for yourself…"

&&&

Mich chuckled, the team were staring at Roger in disbelief, it was James who found his voice first. "You mean you've been winding us all up on purpose, so we'll work better together?"

Roger smiled, "It worked didn't it? You all hate me at the moment, but you'll back each other to the hilt…" William began to laugh, and the others smiled, Roger had indeed brought them together as a team. "Just promise me you won't drop it now after you've all worked so hard to prove me wrong."

Julia looked puzzled for a minute, "But I don't understand why you put Mich under so much pressure Roger, you gave her ten times more hassle than us…"

Roger nodded, "for a very simple reason. Last week, the judges and order of competition were drawn.

We have to go first. All of you are good riders, but with respect to you all, Mich is the only one who can take the pressure of being the very first competitor."

"James, you are my team captain, your skill is in getting the others organized, making sure that the timings are correct… William, you are the most consistent person on this team, providing strength riding in the second position. Katrina and Julia, both of you are solid in the dressage – and in the cross country you will ride to get the team around… Mich is our trailblazer… She can spot the problem areas on the cross country course and relay them back for the rest of you."

"Being drawn first on home territory is the worst position to start from – everyone will be watching us… Other teams, all the spectators. Mistakes will be magnified. Mich, from now on in I want you and Julia to work together, you focus on your dressage, Julia on your jumping. Katrina, you will be my reserve, I want you to help them – join in the training, but also help out with the video. James and William, I want you to train together too, but just keep the horses ticking over, I don't want any over training now."

"What about me?" Kyra's voice cut in quietly.

Roger chuckled, "You Kyra are going to join in training, and when we can swing it in, I'll help you with your dressage – at the Games, you are our official team mascot…"

Kyra grinned while the riders roared with laughter, "I can cope with that."

Roger stood, signaling that the meeting was over. "Take the afternoon off guys, I'll see you here tomorrow morning." As he walked away, the riders grinned at each other at the thought of a Friday afternoon off. Mich chuckled, and had an idea…

&&&

H stared out of the window, "Are you sure about this Mich?" He could hear how happy she was on the other end of the phone and realized that something had happened, but her suggestion was a little unexpected. "Ok, I'll tell him…"

He chuckled, "I get the message, if I'm late home, you won't speak to me for a month…" He paused and laughed more loudly at her answer. "Deal… If I'm not there by 6.30, I have to make it up to you… Something special… Something we've never done? Jeez Mich, what am I supposed to…"

He stared at his phone, Mich had cut the line saying that she had to go… Turning Mich's challenge over in his mind, he had no idea what to do, sighing he stood up and went in search of Frank.

He found his trace expert talking quietly to Sam and another pathologist, discussing a case most likely. Quietly interrupting, he extended Mich's invitation to dinner that evening, "she's got the afternoon off, so God knows what she's cooking up, unless you have plans – though Mich said you could bring your partner if you wish."

Frank was a little startled, "Are you sure H? Is everything ok?"

H chuckled, "From the sound of her voice, I would say she's never been better…" Frank went quiet for a moment and H saw him trade glances with Sam, before nodding acceptance.

"Tell her I'd be delighted, around 7.30 you said." H nodded and returned to his office, sending a message to Mich to say that her offer had been accepted.

&&&

Derek chuckled as H swore at the traffic in front of them, "Sorry Horatio, but unfortunately, I can't do anything about the Friday afternoon traffic jam."

H smiled wryly, "Don't worry Derek, it just means I have to make it up to Mich in the near future, but what I'm going to do, I don't know." He explained what he had agreed to, which made Derek smile, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"Why don't you take Mich up to the West End? She used to love going to watch the shows with her friends – make a weekend of it. Leave the girls with me and mother – I'm sure we can find something to do."

H grinned, "Thanks Derek, it's a great idea. Drop me at the Hall, Mich asked me to grab some of that home-made lemonade for tonight."

&&&

As he was leaving the kitchen, H heard his name being called and paused. Turning he smiled to see the Countess walking towards him, a couple of dogs running around her feet. "Mind if I walk with you a short way Horatio?"

H grinned, "You don't need to ask ma'am, your company is always pleasant."

"Flatterer… So, what's the occasion?" H explained about the impromptu dinner that Mich had decided to have, about their guests and her challenge, as they walked slowly down the hill.

"As I've already lost, Derek suggested taking Mich up to the West End and making a weekend of it, just the two of us."

"Great idea, I'll have a word with Ewan, his brother-in-law is the general manager at The Dorchester, they'll look after you."

H raised an eyebrow, "That's really not necessary, I'm sure I can find…"

"Nonsense Horatio, if you really want this to be a special weekend, then you have to push the boat out a little. Now how is Mich, I noticed she's been very upset over this last week."

H smiled and told her about Roger's little façade, "I'm glad it's over though, I've been worried about her, the stress was beginning to become a little too much. On top of that, his offer to train Kyra… It's really made her happy."

"Where will Kyra stay?"

H smiled, "When I called Mich to tell her I was on my way, she told me that she's hoping that Frank will agree to Kyra staying with him, I have to admit I was a little surprised about that… Especially as she didn't initially want them to meet, though I guess now that she's met Frank face to face herself, it's helped."

The Countess gave him a speculative look, "and how do you feel about it?"

H gave a wry chuckle, "Well, I'm ok with it… I was the one who persuaded Mich to let Kyra meet Frank after all, and now I've got to know him – I know he'll take good care of her…"

"And how are you two…?"

H blushed a little and spoke softly, "We're good, coming here has helped her to talk about so many things, brought us closer than we have ever been. I no longer have any doubts about Mich's feelings for me."

The Countess smiled, "I'm glad Horatio, I sensed that the two of you had some issues that needed to be cleared away. I don't think I have ever seen her so happy. Even the trauma of dealing with Jack has been cleared away from her mind and is no more than a quickly fading shadow."

H was startled, "You know about Jack?"

She nodded, "Yes Horatio, Mich told me about it herself, she was afraid to date anyone after that. I can't say I blame her, but that is now all gone thanks to you. She cannot tell me enough how she wants to start planning for the future once you two get home, there is nothing to hold her back anymore."

H stared at her, "Mich told you that?"

The Countess looked surprised, "Of course she did, she tells me everything…" Facing H, she continued her little white lie… "Horatio, Mich understands that you may be afraid to think about the future because of what happened to Marisol, but you should know that Mich has no doubts about who she wishes to be with."

H was quiet for a moment, thoughtful, "She never told me…"

The Countess chuckled, "Horatio, she's afraid to hurt you by bringing up Marisol… That's why she doesn't push you to make any plans… though there is one thing that I know she wants more than anything… but she will never ask you, she's to much of an old fashioned girl for that…"

H shook his head, "But why did she never say anything? She helped me with my feelings about what happened to Marisol that's all in the past now, I'm sure she knows that. I would like nothing more than to…" H paused, unsure what to say next.

Smiling, the Countess stopped walking, "Then ask her… Time I went back, dinner will soon be on the table, enjoy your evening…" Glancing back after a few steps, she smiled to see Horatio standing still, looking into the distance, a thoughtful look on his face.


	34. Chapter 34

Mich was laughing, Horatio had tried to persuade her that the reason that he was late was due to the lemonade, "try again Honey, I saw you and dad driving in through the gate at 7.45. Now go and change, Frank will be here soon."

"Where's Kyra?"

"She needed some time for herself, so I suggested that she went to the bridge, I said we'd send someone to get her when dinner is ready."

"Did you tell her about…?"

"No, she's nervous enough already." Mich went on to explain what else had happened that day making H angry at first, but then chuckle as he heard about the result.

"Well, I'm not sure if I agree with Roger's methods, but I guess he met his objective. What happens now?"

Mich sighed, "Now we're down to the technicalities, no more intensive training, just keeping the horses alert and ticking over until the Games. Though sometime next week I want to have another look at the cross country course, there are a couple of fences that I want to see again."

"Do you think you might be able to get a weekend off sometime?"

Mich gave him a smile, "We're off next weekend, why, you have something in mind?"

H chuckled and turned to go and change, "Maybe…"

&&&

Dinner was both a happy and emotional affair, Mich had sent Frank to get Kyra when he had arrived, with Sam on his arm. Horatio had been surprised, but Mich had grinned, "I thought so…"

Sam chuckled, "How did you guess?"

"A couple of things you said the other week at the ball after Frank and I had our… chat…" Horatio had been sent to prepare the wine in the small dining room and keep an eye on Amber who was setting the table so she and Sam were catching up.

"Mich, Frank asked me to warn you. He thinks Jo is up to something…"

Mich sighed, "It won't be the first time, Horatio told me about the rumours – have you heard anything?"

"Only what Frank told H, I don't understand Mich, what's going on?"

Mich fell silent before giving Sam the basic information, "We found out it was a big bluff, just to get me here in case I wasn't selected, but nothing has happened since. Frank said he heard that I was wanted to train up my replacement, the only problem is, that hasn't been confirmed by any other source. Horatio and dad are trying to find things out, but you know how it is…"

"Yeah and Jo is bringing back the old rivalry you had."

Mich shook her head, "There is no rivalry Sam, I don't know why Jo turned against me, but I was never against her."

Taking the food through, Mich chuckled when H pointed out that Frank and Kyra weren't back. "I'm not expecting them anytime soon, that's why I prepared a salad. They can eat when they get back…"

&&&

Horatio roared with laughter at an anecdote of Franks when he heard the phone ring. Kyra and Amber had gone to bed, and the four adults were relaxing together in the living room. Sam had curled up next to Frank on the small sofa while he and Mich stretched out on the longer one. Nudging Mich to move, he got up and picked up the phone.

"Hello…? Oh hi Cal, how's things, yeah, great… Thanks for the name, finally we have something to work with."

Putting down the phone, he walked back to the sofa and sat down. "It seems that we have found out who told CIA you were still in Miami sweetheart."

Mich was intrigued, "Who?"

"Does the name Martin Jackson mean anything to you?"

Frank turned pale, Mich became angry, "It certainly does, and it means I have work to do."

&&

Horatio stood his ground, as Mich became angry at his insistence that she do nothing, "Mich, I told you, you are not to do anything until we get some information."

Mich scowled, "We have a name, and I know where to go to find out where he is. I have a score to settle with Mr Jackson."

Frank flashed a worried glance at Horatio, "Mich, do you know who he is?"

Mich shook her head, "We never met, but I do know that he was the person who told Jack about you – and Kyra. I am going to find him if I have to tear '5' apart to find his personnel file. This is the second time he tried to screw up my life, it won't happen again."

Horatio saw Frank becoming increasingly worried and realised that his friend knew more than he was letting on. "Frank, what's going on, do you know something that we don't?"

Frank sighed, "I've met Martin, he's not the sort of person you mess around with."

Mich swore, "Yeah, well I don't like being messed around with either and I'm going to explain that to him… slowly… Do you know where I can find him Frank?"

Frank looked helplessly at Horatio, knowing that his words would upset H even more than Mich, "You know him Mich, Martin Jackson is just a cover name and H has met him too."

H's eyes narrowed, "Who is it Frank, please, tell us."

Frank sighed and caught Sam's hand as she also became concerned, "It's Stuart… Stuart Cook."

It was all H could do to stop Mich from exploding. Finding out that Stuart was the person responsible for leaking sensitive information had scared and worried Frank, but all Mich could think about was revenge. H didn't blame her, the worst beatings that she had received at Jack's hands had come shortly after he had found out that Frank was Kyra's father and if Stuart had passed on that information…

It was Sam who brought them all to their senses, "Why? Why is Stuart doing this? Mich I thought you and he were friends? Why would he want to cause you so much trouble?"

Sam's question brought Mich back down to earth, "I really don't know, unless… oh my god…" She sank down on the sofa, "This explains Jo's recent fooling around too."

Horatio sat quietly next to her, concerned at the sudden change in her emotions, "Sweetheart, is there anything you can tell us?"

Mich smiled, and nudged him into his usual position, so she could curl up next to him, "Oh yes, there's a lot I can tell you about Stuart, and now I know he's Martin Jackson, it answers a lot of questions that I've asked myself over the years."

"I shouldn't tell you anything, but I don't care… Frank, both you and H deserve to know the truth as it certainly concerns you, but you must promise me one thing. You must let me deal with this, because now I know why he wanted me here in the UK and I don't want either of you involved."

H wasn't sure about Mich's request, "I don't like it Mich, you need our help."

Mich dropped her head, "Horatio, do you remember the reason why I broke off our relationship when I was working in Miami?" H nodded, "Do you know the excuse I gave the team?"

H sighed, "Because it would affect my career, Mich I don't care about that, you know that I've decided to leave the lab."

Mich tenderly touched his cheek, "Horatio, if you get involved, it won't affect you as such, but it will destroy all the work that you have done here. I can't allow you to do that, Frank and Sam will be the first in the firing line and you may never be able to return to the UK again – at the risk of your life… I don't want that to happen…"

H took a deep breath, "I can't let you do this alone Mich, I won't…"

Mich shook her head and spoke softly, "This wolf hunts alone Horatio, you know that, and it will be the last time, let me tell you what happened and then you'll understand."

Slowly, Mich began to tell them about her early life at '5'. First just her basic training and then on to more specialist work, "People began to notice how quickly I picked things up – in unarmed combat, Aikido came naturally to me, though as soon as we started training on the shooting range, I started to find my strength."

"Though I didn't know it, I was soon being fast streamed for 'top secret' work. A few of us were asked if we were interested in more specialist work, and of course I wanted in. During the training, we would be tested, initially by our training staff, then agents who were between missions."

Mich paused to take a breath, her anger had dissipated, but Horatio knew that she was already planning… "One day, the girls within the group were taken to one side. We had reached a particular point in our training and were asked how deep we would be willing to go undercover. Two of us said we would be prepared to go as far as it took to get the information we were being trained to get."

"We were sent away for an additional three months training, learning to use the most deadly weapon any person can have – ourselves. The other girl… Sasha, was killed in Iraq in the mission that nearly cost me my life. That was when I knew I had to get out – my profile changed, I went from an undercover agent to assassin."

Frank looked carefully at Mich, "was that before or after we met?"

Mich chuckled, "Iraq was after, but I'm getting ahead of myself… The additional training included assassin work, that's where I learnt to use the knives, garrotte and rifle. The katana blades and throwing stars I added much later, before I came to Miami. I felt a connection to those because of my earlier training, a section of which was dedicated to a particular part of Japanese and European culture…"

Sam gasped, seeing from the look on Mich's face what she was getting at. Mich chuckled, "It takes a woman to understand the subtleties… You're right Sam, Sasha and I were trained as Courtesans, with a liberal mix of Geisha training thrown in for good measure…"

H raised his eyebrows a look of consternation on his face, "but you've never…"

Mich smiled softly at the memories of when she and H became partners, "I never needed to with you honey… You caught me remember…"

"I only needed to use it on two occasions, one was a test, the other was the Japanese diplomat mission… Frank only needed a hint, but the two of us were already friends by then… Everything else was completely natural…"

"From the Japanese side, I learnt the art of conversation, poise and movement… How to capture someone's attention with just a glance – my teacher was very pleased with that aspect of my training, she said I was good…"

H smiled, "How good?"

Mich gave him a steady look, dropping her head slightly… As H began to blush, she chuckled, "You know the answer to that one…"

"The courtesan training came later. At first Sasha and I couldn't believe what we were hearing, seeing, but after a while we came to love it – the feeling of power that you get as a woman is unbelievable. Our trainers used to send us out to the clubs to test us… Choosing a man in the room that we had to get to dance with us, but that was as far as it went… Sasha was better than me, but we never competed, we helped each other – trying different ideas, finding out what would work and what wouldn't."

"Our last test was the most difficult, we were told that we had to place a tracking dot on a specific target. Both targets were agents, so we knew we would have to be really careful if we wanted to pass. This was before mobile phones were pocket size and had GPS locators fitted."

"It took Sasha a few weeks to get her tracker in position and she nearly got caught. It took me 48 hours to get my tracker inside my target's watch."

Frank was curious, "How did you manage?"

Mich smiled, "I did it at a time when my target would be least attentive… Sasha had planted hers during the day at a busy train station. I planted mine at 3 am when my target was fast asleep…"

Sam gasped and burst out laughing, "You seduced your target! Oh my…" She became quiet as she put things together… "The agent was Stuart wasn't it?"

Mich nodded and her smile faded as she continued her story, "My first mission was with him, the agent that I had seduced – our cover was that of a young married couple and after that first night it was easy to pretend and the mission was a success. When we came back, I expected to go my own way and it would be over, but he wouldn't let go… my seduction had worked a little too well…"

H was concerned, seeing that Mich was becoming a little upset, "He became obsessed, wouldn't leave me alone. I reported him, and he backed off, apologised and that was that… however after that, any boyfriends I had would suddenly break up with me without warning. I couldn't work out why, so I stopped dating for a while… Then Frank came along and nothing happened so I thought we would be ok. That didn't work out for us and I met Jack."

"Things were ok until he met Martin Jackson – it was someone he was working with undercover. Soon after things started going wrong, after Jack died, I got a phone call, a person said they were Martin and that I would never have a relationship with anyone – he would make sure of it. After Jack, I really didn't care – I didn't want to be with anyone, he hurt me so much."

The four friends were silent as Mich finished her story. Frank was the first to speak, "So why didn't anyone come after me when we were together?"

Mich smiled, "Now I know Martin and Stuart are the same person, that's an easy one to answer, he was in Afghanistan… and you were back and for, so he wouldn't have picked up on it."

H frowned, "In my case, he wouldn't have been able to cause trouble because he had no legitimate reason for being in Miami."

Mich sighed, "Stuart didn't know I was in Miami until he became Director of Operations. That was last summer, he's picked up where he left off."

"With one difference,' H said grimly, "I don't scare off…"

Seeing the look on Mich's face, Sam asked a question "Where does Jo fit in with all this?"

Mich pulled a face. "Remember when she and I worked together with Rhys and Stuart just before I met Frank?" Sam nodded, "Originally I should have been paired with Stuart, but I wouldn't do it, so she matched up with him. He told her about us and asked for her help to 'split' me and Rhys up – he didn't know that Rhys was my cousin. Rhys couldn't stand Jo, so she went after Stuart instead. I don't know how he's kept a hold on her after all this time, but I do know that if he tells her to do something she'll do it."

Frank made a startled noise, "Like setting H up with all these rumours… He's probably realised that he won't scare H off, so he's trying to break you up a different way… Mich he knows about your temper, if H really was having an affair, how would you react…"

H chuckled, "like the Space Shuttle taking off at Cape Canaveral…"

Mich punched him, "I would not…" a glint came into her eye, "I would come after you with the sharpest knife I could find…"

H became thoughtful, "Stuart probably doesn't realise what we know, otherwise he would have changed tactics… How about we use it to our advantage?"

Mich was curious, "In what way?"

H grinned, "How about we let Jo continue what she's doing and in the meantime we can get our evidence together. Then we can spring our little trap, catch Jo out, expose Stuart for what he's doing and wrap it all up in time to have fun at the Games."

Mich pouted, "What! And let you and Frank have all the fun… I want to join in…"

H chuckled, "You're not happy because I won't let you get dressed up in your black suit and go climbing all over MI5 headquarters…"

Mich raised an eyebrow, "A lady of my social standing does not go climbing over rooftops… Especially when I can walk in through the front door…"

H was startled, "What do you mean?"

Mich gave a wicked chuckle, "Honey, even though I resigned, I still retain a high level clearance, I can get in the administrative section of '5' headquarters, including Stuart's office without too much trouble… and if I ask, do you really think he's going to say no to me?"

H grinned, Mich had a plan in her mind and it was bound to be interesting, "So, what do you have in mind?"

Mich became thoughtful, "Let me think on it for a day or two, I think I could do with a little help on this one."

H smiled softly, "No more Lone Wolf Mich?"

Mich smiled back, "The Wolf needs to stay in retirement, but we need information and I can get it… Frank is helping you and Sam can keep an eye on Jo. So, do you two want in?"

They smiled and nodded, life around Mich was always interesting…

&&

Mich gave Kyra a sideways glance as they drove towards Gatcombe, her daughter was quiet, obviously thinking over events from the night before.

"You ok sweetie?"

Kyra nodded, "Frank's nice, just as you said he was. He told me a few things about how you two met and what you used to do together. Do you think he'll mind if I don't call him dad?

Mich smiled, "I think it'll take him a while to get to know you Kyra, then you'll both find out what you're comfortable with."

Kyra sighed, "I hope so, I don't want to sound mean, but Horatio is my dad now…"

Mich reached over and squeezed her hand gently, "I think Frank will understand that Kyra, lets face it, you two barely know each other and Horatio has seen you through some tough times and been there for you when you needed someone to talk to." She gave a slight grin, "so, what do you think of him? Is he what you expected?"

Kyra blushed, "He's better looking than in that photo you showed me, but I do like him mum and he wasn't afraid to explain a few things." She hesitated for a moment, "Why didn't you tell me he'd been in prison?"

Mich was startled for a moment, "He told you about that?" Kyra nodded and told her the information Frank had given her, which was almost the full story. Mich was surprised, "I'll be honest Kyra, I didn't want to prejudice you against him. He got caught up in something which he wanted to get out of and now he's trying to make a better life for himself. Though I am glad he's being honest with you, it confirms what I always knew – he is a decent guy."

Kyra nodded, "I think so too. I'm glad he's going to let me stay at his place while I do the course. Thanks for letting me meet him mum."

Mich smiled softly, "Don't thank me about meeting him, thank Horatio, it was his idea. When Frank asked to see you, I was against it but Horatio changed my mind because you had asked to meet him."

Kyra chuckled, "Does dad always get you to change your mind?"

"No… well, sometimes… well I guess so. He sees things differently and he's very rarely wrong when he makes a decision. He always thinks things through and sees the bigger picture, I see the details. I suppose we compliment each other."

Kyra smiled, "you love him a lot mum don't you?"

Mich sighed and nodded, "I think it's because I've seen Frank again, I know there is no-one to stop me being with Horatio now. Before there was always the worry that someone would come between us, but now I know that it will never happen. Add to that what he has done for me, understood who I am, I've never met anyone like him."

Mich stayed quiet for a moment, the look on her face thoughtful, "At last I know I've found someone that I can trust and turn to when I need help, I never had that before. That's why everyone always thought I was a loner, why they think I cannot be a team player – it's because I could never trust anyone except myself. Trust is a fragile thing Kyra, easy to break and incredibly difficult to re-build, Horatio has done that for me, because of him I have learnt to trust others again."

Kyra smiled softly, "I think that's great mum, I hope I'm lucky enough to find someone like you did."

Mich smiled and said nothing, Kyra was right, finding the right person to share your life with was not always easy, but H was the one for her, there was just one thing missing… She allowed herself a small smile, maybe two…

&&

The team were in fine form, working through Roger's exercises with light hearts and a lot of laughter. Roger himself came in for a lot of teasing as the team paid him back for what he had put them through the few weeks before.

Tentatively, David asked Kyra if she would join him and the other grooms at the cinema the following afternoon. Checking with her mum who nodded her consent, the teenager grinned and after an individual training session with Roger, who gave her a lot of praise, the delight on her face was clear to see.

Turning the horses loose for an afternoon in the paddock, Mich smiled, everything was perfect, now she just had one minor matter to sort out. Looking for Roger, she found him in his office.

"Roger, can I ask you something?" After he nodded his reply Mich continued, "I need to go and straighten a few things out in London next week – it should only take a couple of hours. I was thinking of having another look at the cross country course while I was there. Would it be a problem for me to go up either on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon?"

Roger checked his schedule quickly. "Thursday would be better, the Olympic vets are coming to check the horses out that afternoon for fitness and to take blood samples and the like. We can manage without you, you need any help?"

Mich shook her head, "I'd rather be by myself on the course on this occasion, I want to look at a few things. The other matter is a little… personal – are you sure you don't mind?"

Roger chuckled, "Not at all, do what you have to do Mich, but I want to know what you think about the course on Friday." Mich nodded her agreement and left, smiling to herself before making a call to Horatio.

"Thursday ok for you honey? I've got the afternoon off." She chuckled at H's answer and placed another call, this one was to MI5 headquarters.


	35. Chapter 35

_It is about time that I thanked you all for your comments about SAP, I'm glad you're liking my sequel... The remaining chapters will certainly be taking you on a roller-coaster of emotions... Enjoy..._

_**Lucy**_

Mich stared at the stone edifice in front of her, when she had started her work for MI5, the headquarters had been in some non-descript building hidden away from prying eyes. The new headquarters shouted their presence on the edge of the Thames. Mich shook her head, this would never been allowed in the old days, sighing, she walked up the steps.

The receptionist looked at her politely and confirmed that she did indeed have an appointment with the Director of Operations that afternoon and gave her a visitor's pass. Mich chuckled, "You should have a pass ready for me, though it's a little old."

Seeing the questioning look, Mich suggested that she looked in a secure cabinet just behind her. "Check under the surname 'Foster'."

The receptionist's smile turned to startled amazement as she found Mich's pass exactly where it should have been. A sharp intake of breath made Mich realize that the girl knew what the Alpha-Numeric code at the top stood for. She chuckled at the girl's face, "If you want to check the database, you'll notice that it's classified as 'inactive'…"

The girl nodded nervously and Mich sighed as she turned away, why was it when people saw her code that they became afraid? Did they really think she would turn into a demon before their eyes? The most important skill for an assassin was being able to blend into the community, besides, that was her past, her future was no longer with '5'.

Moving through the first two security checkpoints, she saw the guards raising their eyebrows. The second quietly spoke into his walkie talkie after she had passed. Following the directions she had been given, Mich soon found herself moving into the administrative part of '5'.

As she continued the short journey, she became increasingly aware that people were turning to look at her and speaking in hushed whispers. It wasn't until a voice from a long time ago made her pause that she realized why. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Wolf has entered the building."

Mich chuckled and turned to see a familiar face leaning up against a door frame, "Well, well, well, John Parks, I thought you would have retired long ago."

Mich's former training officer stepped forwards to give her a hug, "I had, but Stuart brought me back, we're short of good agents, so us oldies are coming back to do the training so the young ones can go out into the field."

He dropped his voice to a whisper, "Stuart bringing you back in too? I heard he wanted you, nice job in Miami by the way. People are still talking about it."

Mich sighed, "Just a courtesy visit John, I'm not coming back. How do you know Miami was me?"

John chuckled, "Are you kidding me? We heard a corrupt judge was taken out by a sniper at 800 yards through a plate glass window in view of a witness. Only you would have the guts to try that kind of shot. Then when I heard about blades being used on other targets, I knew it was you… By the way, what did you do about the witness, I heard it was a police officer?"

Mich grinned wickedly, "I made sure he would stay quiet…"

John frowned, "We don't go around killing good law enforcement people Mich…"

Mich laughed, "Who says I killed him? Lieutenant Horatio Caine… We've been together ever since, he's given me a beautiful daughter…" She continued on her way, chuckling at the look of stunned amazement on John's face.

Finding what she was looking for, Mich tapped on the heavy door and walked in. Stuart's secretary looked up and nodded respectfully. "The DO will be with you shortly ma'am. He's on a conference call at the moment."

A few minutes later, Stuart came out of his office, giving Mich a warm smile and a hug, he invited her in. "Good to see you again Mich, we have some catching up to do."

Mich returned the smile, though inwardly it was taking nearly all her self control not to reply with some retort. She and Horatio had hatched a very simple plan. Her father was now collecting all the information relating to the 'mission' he could find.

&&

"So Mich, what can I do for you? I was a little surprised to receive a call saying that you wanted to meet."

Mich raised her eyebrows, she knew that all conversations in Stuart's office would probably be recorded, but Stuart was being very careful, it confirmed what her dad had thought – the mission was a bluff. "To tell you the truth Stuart, I'm really not sure, I get a call to assist with a mission, but since I've arrived, I've received no instructions whatsoever. Please, can you tell me what's going on."

Stuart made an annoyed sound in his throat, "You mean you didn't get my message? The mission is a no go Mich, has been for a while. You should have been told, sorry about that. Lucky we don't have to rely on your contact, mind you, I have to admit, I was wary about using the Lieutenant in the first place."

Mich narrowed her eyes, "Oh, Why, was there a problem?'

"Not really, but you know what the police are like… They don't really understand people like us Mich, don't appreciate the levels we go to, the things we have to do to maintain the security of the nation. Add to that he's not even British, so there is a conflict of interest there… He could quite easily have informed CIA what we were doing, I didn't really want to have to take that chance."

"Anyway, besides that, how are you doing with the team, I heard Robert's daughter is doing quite well…"

Mich struggled to keep her voice neutral, "trainings going fine, Kyra will be competing at Blenheim a week after the Games, she's looking forward to it. I see you've got your contacts keeping an eye on things…"

Stuart chuckled, "Where one of our top agents is concerned, I always like to know what's going on."

Mich pulled a face, "Not any more Stuart, I became inactive a long time ago and that's how it's going to stay. My family are more important to me now."

Stuart smiled and gestured to the file in front of him, "I wish I could persuade you otherwise. Your file is quite incredible, I had never realized how much you had done for us."

Mich turned ice-cold, her dad had destroyed her personal file, hadn't he? "My file? I suppose it makes interesting reading, but I'm surprised you have it, I thought it would have been under lock and key by now, considering I'm inactive."

Stuart chuckled, "Oh, I don't know what happened to your file, it went missing, this is my own personal copy. As for you being inactive, I'm hoping to change that. I need you to train up a new girl to take over your job, she's good but doesn't have your finesse."

Mich remained quiet for a moment, it was illegal for any officer to hold personal copies of files, mainly due to security requirements, the fact that Stuart had one… "I'm not coming back Stuart, forget it."

Stuart smiled as if he hadn't heard her, "I need someone with your skills Mich, I accept you may not be fit enough to go back into the field, but you could be such an asset to the training branch – I'm left with he oldies like John Parks to train everyone. Give yourself a couple of years as a trainer, and you'd soon get back into it again. Then we can start you off with a couple of low key assignments…"

Mich frowned, "No Stuart, that part of my life is over. And what would I tell my family?"

Stuart smiled, "Well Kyra could stay at the Hall couldn't she? I'm sure your dad would be delighted to have her. You wouldn't need to worry about her."

"And what would I tell Amber and Horatio?"

"Oh I'm sure your youngest would be happy to stay in Miami with her father. I have to admit Mich, seducing the only witness to one of your jobs and having his child to keep him quiet was a master stroke. But you don't need to live a lie anymore. Come back to us, we are your family, he can't possibly understand you like we do."

Mich nearly exploded, but managed to keep her voice on an even keel, "No thank you Stuart, I'm not interested, I happen to like my life in Miami and though you may not believe it, I'm with Horatio because I want to be." Standing up she turned to leave the office, but Stuart caught her before she reached the door.

"He will never love you like I do Mich, come back to the UK where you belong."

Mich pulled her arm out of Stuart's hand, "Maybe not, but I like the way he loves me – and I love him… Not you, I have never loved you…"

Stuart moved out of her way, but could not resist a final comment. "He will never know you as I do Mich, one day you will regret not staying with me, because you will have no-one – I will make sure of it."

Outside the building, Mich took a deep breath and walked along the embankment trying to regain her temper. As she walked, she opened her mobile and made a call, Frank answered and informed her that her whole conversation with Stuart had been heard and John, the AV tech, had made a recording and was currently cleaning it up.

His voice showed his concern, "Mich are you ok? The end of your conversation was a little tense. H is not going to like it…"

Mich sighed, "Don't you start Frank, it's enough that I'll have Horatio and Dad getting worried, with you as well I'm not going to be able to move…"

Frank said nothing at first and then wisely changed the subject slightly, "Sam said to tell you that she has Jo all worked up and H is all set for your argument…"

Mich chuckled, Sam had been asked to convince Jo that she and H were having problems, mainly caused by her past relationship with Frank. Sam had told Jo that H had only found out that Frank was Kyra's dad at the ball when they had spoken. The story was that H was feeling hurt by Mich's lies and becoming jealous of her relationship with Frank.

"Tell Horatio that I'll be over at around 4.30, I have to go over to Greenwich first to check out the cross country course."

Frank smiled, "Oh we'll all be here… Making sure that we all think you're terrible for treating H the way you do. With the exception of me of course – I'll be there to support you…"

Mich laughed, "Thank God no-one knows about you and Sam, or otherwise this wouldn't work… I'll see you later." Cutting the line she headed for the tube, to get to Greenwich.

&&

Mich sighed, she had walked the entire course and was happy with most of it. She had spotted one place where Julia might have trouble, but now she was warned, they could do some work towards it. The water jump was tricky, but they would all get through if they rode strongly. This course was not one for the faint hearted, Mich smiled to herself, she had cracked the course builder's intention – to scare the living daylights out of the riders… Anyone backing off would have problems.

She glanced around, the biggest worry to her was not the fences, though they were complicated enough, the ground was a far bigger problem. Once again the east of the UK had been plagued by lack of rain whilst the West had been hit by flooding. The water shortage had resulted in hosepipe bans in the Home Counties, East Anglia and South East coast. Water tankers were being brought in every evening from Wales and the West Country to gently water the ground between the fences.

The result was a green lane surrounded by dying brown grass, Mich gave a half smile, at least none of the riders would get lost – all they had to do was follow the green lane. Chuckling to herself, she began humming 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' from the Wizard of Oz.

Flicking through the pictures on her digital camera, she decided she had enough – she would walk the course once more – the day before the cross country. Checking the time, she made her way back to the tube station, her destination, Scotland Yard.

&&

H was quietly working in his office when he heard a tap at the door. Looking up, he smiled when he saw Frank walk in, "Mich is on her way, she just called, did you listen to the tape?"

Horatio nodded, "I don't like it Frank, it sounds as if Stuart was threatening her right at the end. Can you do me a favour and ask Derek if we can get someone to monitor Stuart's movements? If he decides to come after Mich, or send someone, we need to be ready."

Frank nodded, "No problem, but do you think he's that stupid?"

H pulled a face, "Stupid? No, obsessive and treacherous… yes… At least we now know that this was his idea from the beginning. He created the mission to convince the rest of the Directors that Mich was needed and now she's here he can let it slide – problem is, we also know he wanted her here for personal reasons and that is something that will make him even more dangerous."

Frank's concern showed in his face, "Ok, I'll get on it right away."

&&&&&

Jo Flynn looked up from her microscope and decided to grab a coffee, she had been testing a pillow for DNA samples, and had so far only come up with those of the victim – an eighty year old woman smothered to death by a burglar for just a few pennies.

As she walked to the break room she spotted Mich having an argument with the police sergeant on duty. He was refusing to let her into the lab. Stepping outside, she agreed to sign Mich in as a visitor. "It's no problem, I can vouch for her sergeant."

Mich pulled a face, "This place is worse than '5', I got in there easily to see Stuart, what the hell is going on in here.'

Jo couldn't help the smile that came across her face, Mich was in a really bad mood, something must have upset her. "You know how it is Mich, when something is brand new they guard it like crazy, give it a couple of years and everyone will be allowed in here. Are you ok?"

Mich shrugged her shoulders, "I need to have a word with Horatio, this is the last time he'll conveniently forget to pass on information…" She quickly went quiet, realizing that she had let slip something Jo wasn't cleared to hear. "See you around Jo."

Jo went quickly to the break room which was near H's office, she wasn't surprised to find most of the team there, they usually had coffee around this time. As she poured herself a mug, the sound of raised voices could be heard coming from the room nearby.

"That doesn't sound good…" John commented.

Frank shrugged his shoulders, "I think Mich is getting fed up with H telling her what to do all the time…"

Jo jumped in, "I don't think so Frank, its more like Mich is keeping things from him. Lets face it, she has more secrets than Pandora's box – and just as deadly. I feel sorry for H, he thought he knew her and he really doesn't.'

Frank gave her a poisonous look, "Well I'm not surprised you're jumping to defend him, we all know why you've been staying late."

Jo gave him an arch look, "I don't know why you're bothered, with H out of the way, you could get Mich back if you really wanted to."

Frank slammed his coffee on the table, about to answer when Mich came storming out of H's office, "Fine, if that's the way you feel, go back to Miami on your own, I'm staying here." Turning on her heel she began to walk quickly down the corridor.

The group of investigators stared at each other, with the exception of Frank who ran after Mich and put his arm around her shoulder, talking quietly in her ear. Jo smiled into her mug and raised her eyebrow at Sam, who was still stunned at what she had seen and heard.

&&

Frank started laughing, he and Mich were sitting at a nearby café and she was telling him about the 'argument', "All Horatio and I were talking about was whether we should get a take out for dinner…"

"Well it didn't sound like it, Jo certainly got taken in though, you should have seen the look on her face."

Mich chuckled, "She's going to be in for a big shock then isn't she… Apparently there's a big meeting next week at '5' – Dad's going to expose Stuart, the information you've managed to build up against him is really strong. And with what Calleigh and Rhys have sent over from CIA, he's going to be asked for his resignation."

Frank became silent, "Is that a good idea Mich? If he gets kicked out of '5', we may not be able to track him."

Mich smiled, "Don't worry Frank, Dad's got that covered, he's already spoken to the Head. She's quite happy to have Stuart watched, and because he's a high security risk they're going to track him. Thankfully that's something I don't have to worry about…"

Frank wasn't so sure, but said nothing, Derek knew what he was doing and the safety of his family was a high priority. "Look, I'd better get going, let me know if you need anything." Mich nodded and gave him a hug, before he turned and went back to the Yard; she too turned away from the café, heading for the station where she would catch the train back to Theale.

&&&

Horatio sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, Frank had not come back to his office, a sign that everything had gone down well. He was wondering whether to make the next move when a tap at his door announced Jo, looking concerned.

"Are you ok H? I'm sorry, but we couldn't help but overhear your argument with Mich earlier, can I help?"

H nearly chuckled but managed to keep a straight face, it seemed that Jo had fallen into their little trap, "Thanks Jo, but I'm ok… Coming over with Mich hasn't turned out the way I would have liked. She's completely changed compared to how she is back home."

Jo gave him a sympathetic look and closed the door behind her, "Mich is not an easy person to get on with Horatio, I should know, I've worked with her often enough. I have to admit, I wondered how you two got together." Shyly she looked at him, "I mean, I can understand how she got interested in you, but…" She stopped as H gave her a strange look, worried that she'd pushed a little two much, but began to relax when he sighed.

"She's become like a stranger to me Jo, I don't know what happened. In Miami she was happy with our life, but now she's here, she's talking about returning to her old job…"

Jo walked around the corner of H's desk and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, "She's remembering her work H, people here are reminding her how good she was. She was always a bit of a glory hunter, I'm sorry you've seen her like this. It must be a bit of a shock."

H nodded, "It is, but I have to try and get through this." Standing up he took his coat from the hanger and prepared to leave.

"Horatio, if things get too rough, I have space at my place…"

H paused and looked at Jo carefully before giving a soft smile. Gently he touched her cheek, "Thanks, but I have to try and fix this, I… I still love her Jo, but I appreciate what you're doing." Turning away from her he left his office leaving Jo standing behind his desk, a triumphant smile on her face.

&&&

Arriving home, Horatio was surprised to find Mich alone. "Where are the girls?"

Mich grinned, "Amber is having dinner with her cousins and Kyra has gone out with David and the other grooms."

Horatio frowned, "He's a bit old for her isn't he… Maybe I should have a word…"

Mich sighed and walked over to him, putting her arms around his waist, "I would have thought that an age difference would be the last thing you would worry about…" H gave her a wry smile and his face softened, chuckling as Mich continued, "besides, I've already warned him – gently… He understands…"

"Good, because if Frank finds out…"

"Dear Lord, give the boy some credit Horatio, he is allowing Kyra her little crush without pushing it further, the last thing he needs is both of Kyra's fathers coming down on him… The poor boy would never recover."

H burst out laughing, "Ok, I'll trust you. Now, what have you got cooking, it smells wonderful…"

Mich smiled, "Nothing special actually, dinner is ready it's just being kept warm… While we eat, you can tell me about Jo's reaction to our little play this afternoon…"

As H told her what had happened, Mich became thoughtful, wanting to plan her revenge, not knowing that it was not necessary, and how sweet it would actually be…


	36. Chapter 36

After a dinner of Fillet steak, complete with mushroom sauce and various vegetables, Mich and H began to settle down for a relaxing evening when the phone rang. Mich answered and began to chuckle before agreeing to what ever was being requested.

As she returned to the sofa H gave her a quizzical look, "Mind sharing?"

Mich laughed, "That was Jackie, she asked if it would be ok for Amber to stay over, she can lend her some nightclothes for tonight, but then she'll pass by for some of her clothes for the weekend… Now are you going to tell me what's going on?"

H chuckled, "Damn, I was hoping to surprise you…"

Mich turned to look at him, and started probing, "Tell me…"

"No…"

Sitting up, Mich pushed H lower down on the sofa and sat gently on his chest, pushing him for information, "Tell me…"

H grinned and replied more forcefully, "No… It won't be a surprise otherwise."

"Not even a clue?"

H put his head to one side, pretending to consider her request, "Hmmm… Nope."

Mich pulled a face and gently started to tickle H in the ribs, wondering if anyone in the team knew that H was ticklish, "Tell me…"

H shook his head, trying to keep a straight face and quickly caught Mich's hands, pulling her down towards him. He hoped that the kiss that followed would distract her from asking more questions…

&&

An hour or so later, the two of them were disturbed from watching the TV when they heard the sound of a car door slam and Kyra's angry voice.

Quickly moving to the window, they saw David quiet and calm, Kyra obviously annoyed about something. Mich sighed, while H chuckled, "Remind you of anyone?"

Mich elbowed him playfully, "You come out with the like mother like daughter quote, and I might just point out that David resembles you at this moment…"

H laughed and quickly pulled Mich away from the window as Kyra turned towards the door, "How about you take her and I take him?"

Mich nodded, "Be nice…"

H quickly moved out through the back door to intercept David, while Mich followed Kyra upstairs when she stomped in. Pausing at the door she feigned a neutral expression, "Something you want to tell me about?"

Kyra looked up, "Oh mum, he's such a…."

Mich raised her eyebrow and sat next to an obviously upset Kyra and put her arm around her shoulders, "How about you tell me what happened." Glancing out of the window, she smiled as she saw H leading David away up the path that followed the stream.

"Is she normally like this?" David's question made H chuckle, as they had walked along the path he had explained to H what had caused Kyra's outburst. The two of them had joined the other grooms at a local pub that had a small dancefloor and enjoyed themselves for the evening.

The problems had started when David had insisted on bringing Kyra home at 10.30. Kyra had tried to persuade him that her mum wouldn't mind, but David wasn't taking any chances. Mich had said 10.30, so 10.30 it had to be…

Kyra was not impressed.

"He's only doing what I asked Kyra and I for one am glad he's being responsible."

Kyra groaned, "But mum… It's not just that, he's so… careful, has dad said something to him? I really like him, but it's as if he's keeping me at arms length."

Mich sighed, "Kyra, H hasn't spoken to him, but I'm glad he's being careful – do you really want him to get into trouble?" You are only fifteen and people will get the wrong idea if he's not careful."

"Why is the age difference such a problem?" Krya couldn't help raising her voice "You just don't want me to be with him. He's only six years older, look at you and dad, there's what… twelve years between you two."

Mich sighed and decided to get firm, "Kyra, it's not the difference in age, but your age. I happen to know that David is prepared to wait for you, but right now I wouldn't be surprised if he dropped you – you're acting like a spoilt brat who can't get what she wants. He's a nice guy who doesn't deserve the way you're treating him."

&&

H chuckled, "Well I haven't seen Kyra this angry in a long time – she must really care about you to react like this. Though I have to admit that she's really reminding me of her mum at the moment."

David grinned, "I've seen Mich's temper, is Kyra that bad?"

H eyed the younger man speculatively, "Does it bother you?" 

David shook his head, "Not at all, at least life won't be boring… I'm sorry Lieutenant, but there's just something…"

H smiled softly, "I know, her mum does it to me… I'm glad to see that you're being careful David, but don't worry, Mich will sort her out. You do realize that she may change her mind as she gets older."

David nodded, "It's not a problem, but I want to know that she's sure about what she wants – I would rather she comes back after college and says that she only wants to be friends than to have problems now."

H smiled and put his hand on David's shoulder, "Then leave the rest to us, don't worry about it… If I know Mich, she'll be getting tough right about now…"

&&

Mich took Kyra's outburst calmly, "Fine, if you have a problem with it, then you won't mind not seeing him anymore. I can find someone else to help me out with the horses so you don't need to come to the stables."

Kyra stared at her mum, "but what about my training?"

Mich looked her daughter in the eye, "Choose Kyra, while you are under my roof and under my protection, you will abide by my rules. When you're eighteen I can't stop you from doing what you want, but you have to learn that life is about choices and I will not let you hurt someone else to get your own way. If you seriously want to train, then you have to accept that sacrifices have to be made."

Kyra remained stubborn, "I don't see you making any…"

Mich held her temper… "Really? How do you think I feel when I miss a pageant or something at your school or Amber's because I'm being paid to train someone. Don't you think that Horatio and I would like more time to be a family or be by ourselves? I have to keep up the standards of the business and he feels a duty to serve and protect the people of Miami."

She paused, before continuing, a note of bitterness coming into her voice. "How often have I had to put off doing something with you because of the horses? To get to the top in this sport takes discipline and sacrifice Kyra, finally I've made it, but it's taken a long time – most of my life in fact, but I have missed out on so much. Don't you think that I ask myself whether it's worth it? I am so lucky to have someone like Horatio who understands, most people wouldn't."

Standing up she walked out of the door, closing it behind her. Kyra stared thoughtfully after her mother.

Mich arrived back from the horses to find H preparing a small case. She had left him asleep that morning after he had told her that he had arranged to take the weekend off to be with her. Kyra had quietly asked to be allowed to come with her, apologizing for her behavior the night before, she had also apologized to David, which had raised Mich's eyebrows slightly.

"What are you up to?"

H smiled, "Nothing in particular, I take it Kyra stayed up at Gatcombe?"

Mich nodded, "David's going to bring her back later, said he had arranged it with you."

H nodded, "Yeah, we had a good chat, he's a nice kid. I asked him to do me a favour."

"Oh?"

"Hmm… He's going to take care of the horses today and tomorrow for you…"

Mich began to smile, "Is this anything to do with the 'surprise' you have for me?"

H chuckled, "Well I do owe you something for being late last week, so I thought I'd take the advantage of your weekend off…" The delight on Mich's face was plain to see.

"What about the girls?"

H laughed, "Your dad wants to spend some time with them, they'll be at the hall this weekend so we can take off…"

Mich was stunned, "Just the two of us?"

H walked across the room and put his arms around her, speaking softly he held her close, "Just the two of us, is that ok by you?" 

Mich stared at him, her face lighting up, "It'll be the first time… in ages… Of course it's ok." Her kiss confirming just how 'ok' it was…

&&

If Mich was surprised by their accommodation for the weekend, she didn't show it, but as they arrived at The Dorchester H sensed her anticipation for the weekend and began to smile, he would have to thank Derek and the Countess for their help. It was a weekend he never wanted to forget.

They spent the afternoon playing tourist, visiting various sights including Trafalgar Square, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace, H found his teasing backfired at that point, "Ever been inside?"

Mich nodded, "A couple of times, mostly with Gran for a garden party of some sort or other, mainly to do with her charity work. She knows the Queen quite well…"

It was the last time H was to tease her about her aristocratic connections.

&&

Arriving back at the suite the Countess had arranged for them, H encouraged Mich to take the opportunity for a bit of 'spoiling' sending her down to the Spa for a massage. Standing at the window he stared across Hyde Park and smiled before heading out to Oxford Street – he had seen something that he knew would suit Mich for their evening out.

When he returned, he chuckled to see Mich laid out on the four poster bed, lazily flicking through the channels on the TV, "How are you feeling?"

Mich chuckled, "Lazy… What have you got there?"

It was H's turn to smile, "I thought you should have something nice to wear when we go out for dinner tonight, do you like it?"

Mich's eyes opened wide, the Dolce & Gabbana outfit was stunning, H had certainly picked up on what she liked over their years together… "I love it, it's beautiful."

As she took a closer look, H gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Then let's get ready."

Mich grinned, they had been met at the reception by the hotel's regular chauffeur, though it was H who insisted on helping her into the car. H carefully kept his expression neutral trying not to look at Mich's face, lest he give everything away.

Mich allowed him his silence, yet she could not help glancing at him from time to time, knowing he was up to something. There was a look in his eyes that she hadn't seen in quite a while… Since Amber had been born in fact…

Looking around, Mich realized that they were heading towards the West End and grinned, "We're going to a show?"

H nodded, "Your dad happened to mention that you used to go with your friends, and as it's something we've never done together…"

"Great, a brilliant idea. What are we going to see?"

H laughed, "One day you will learn to wait and see…"

Mich chuckled and snuggled in close for the rest of the ride, grinning when they pulled up outside the Dominion theatre. "We Will Rock You! Terrific, it's one I never got around to seeing."

H smiled, "Well, it was either this or Lion King, and I thought the girls might want to see that one, I've got tickets booked for the weekend before we leave…"

Mich threw her arms around his neck, making him chuckle, "What a great idea… I'm looking forward to it already."

&&&

As they walked inside, the photographer was puzzled. He had been told that there were problems between these two – at this moment in time, it didn't look like it. He turned to put his camera away – the show was three hours long, so he would have to wait a while – when a noise made him look around carefully.

He was too late, the next moment he found a knife at his throat, "Get your things together. You're coming with me."

The photographer swallowed and did as he was told and was taken to an inconspicuous transit van nearby, opening the door, the man pushed him inside, then jumped in after him.

"Mr Jones… You are a very slippery customer; we have been trying to catch up with you… Now, will you tell us what we need to know, or do I have to force it out of you?"

Frank sat back and waited, hoping that Derek could get the guy to talk. They had found out that he had been tracking Mich, now they just needed to get his information down and Stuart Cook would have another nail in his coffin. He didn't have to wait long…

All they needed to do now was get the file that Stuart had kept on Mich.

&&&

Mich chuckled, the show had been terrific, and she and H were now relaxing at Terra, a small but superb Mediterranean restaurant near Kings Cross, waiting for their meal. H was full of witty comments about the show, but she couldn't help feeling that something was going on.

He had refused to answer her questions about his plans for the following day, just saying that he hoped she would remember it for a long time. At that moment, she heard his mobile buzz with an incoming message and frowned at the interruption.

"Something up?"

H quickly glanced at the message and grinned, "Not any more, your dad and Frank just caught the photographer that's been following you for the last couple of weeks."

Mich was startled, but said nothing as the waiter arrived with their starters. Seeing the look on her face H smiled, "No-one is going to hurt you Mich, I'll make sure of it, and no-one is ever going to take you away from me."

As she ate, Mich's head was spinning, H was up to something, she was sure of it, but what? She couldn't figure it out.

Mich sighed and rolled over, slowly opening her eyes when she realized that H was no longer next to her. Daylight was flooding the room and she realized that it was already quite late. For a moment she was glad that H had got David to do the horses.

As her eyes became accustomed to the light, she smiled softly. The night before had been a real eye opener, H being his usual courteous self, but there was something extra in his behavior that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

They had walked back to the hotel, which had taken longer than she had anticipated because H had insisted on wrapping his arm around her shoulders, stopping to kiss her every so often. She had often teased him about his romantic side, but now she was glad he hadn't stopped, she had loved every minute.

Her smile grew broader at the memory of what happened next, she knew she would never forget that night. H had loved her so slowly, so tenderly she had almost cried at the end, wishing that she could hold the moment for ever.

A shadow passing in front of the window brought her back to the present and she spotted H sitting down to eat breakfast. Judging by the fact that he was dressed and reading the newspaper, he must have been up a while. Quietly she eased out of bed and walked over to him wrapping the dressing gown around her.

As she slid her hands down his shoulders and his chest, she could see the smile forming on his face and kissed the side of his cheek.

"Morning sweetheart, I was wondering when you were going to wake up." He kissed the back of a hand and gently pulled her to sit next to him. "Eat up, we have somewhere to go…"

Mich was curious, but said nothing, noting that he was preoccupied with something, though the tender look in his eyes remained. They were soon finished and after she was dressed he led her out of the hotel and across the road into Hyde Park.

"So, where are we going?"

H laughed, "Nowhere in particular, I just fancied a Sunday morning walk." Mich chuckled and snuggled in under his arm. She never had enough time alone with H and was going to make the most of it; God knew when she was going to get another chance.

Walking along the edge of the Serpentine, they talked about everything and nothing when Mich heard the tone in H's voice become more serious.

"Mich, I need to tell you something…" He paused and took a deep breath, "I've decided not to return to my position in the lab when we get back. Calleigh can continue as Lieutenant and I'll just work the cases with the rest of the team until I find something new."

Mich looked up at him her eyes soft, "why? You still have another six months to decide…"

H smiled, "being here has given me a little time to think. Although I want to keep working, I've decided that I can't go on doing the late nights and weekends anymore… I want to spend more time with you and the girls; I don't want to miss Amber growing up…"

As they neared the Serpentine bridge, H spotted the bench and smiled to himself, it was perfect. There was unusually no-one around and as he led Mich over to sit down for a moment he took a deep breath. It was now or never.

Sitting down Mich smiled, she had been thinking of a few things of her own and knowing that H wanted to spend more time with her and the girls was going to help with the decision she needed to make. She was about to say something when H spoke.

"I've also realized that time is passing by quickly and I need to make the most of it now. There is something that is very important to me and recently any doubts that I have had have been cleared away. Mich, I have to ask you something, where do you see us in ten years time?"

Mich was startled by the question, but began to smile, "Hopefully enjoying time together like now, with someone else doing the hard work… Enjoying each others company."

H smiled softly, "I hoped you would say that, because it's what I want too." Giving Mich a soft kiss he changed his position, moving off the bench and dropping to one knee… Mich's eyes went wide as everything started slotting into place…

"Mich, I cannot begin to describe how I feel, but one thing I know, is that I have never been happier than right at this moment… I only have one thing to ask of you…" H took a deep breath, "Will you do me the honour… of becoming my wife…?"

Mich was speechless, the one thing that she wanted most in the world had happened. In that moment, she knew then that things had changed and would change forever.

H became a little concerned when Mich didn't answer him immediately and was about to say something when he saw the small tear sliding out of the corner of her eye. Smiling, Mich pulled him to sit next to her before she spoke, so softly H could barely hear her, "The honour is in being asked Horatio… Nothing would make me happier than to marry you."

Smiling, H reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, "I hope you like it."

As he opened it, Mich gasped, the sapphire solitaire was mounted in a platinum band, matching the necklace and ear-rings that H had bought her four years ago. Carefully he took the ring out of the box and slid it gently onto her finger, it fit perfectly as Mich knew it would.

"It's beautiful, I love it, but you know that already. Now I have a question for you, where did you get this, Sapphire solitaires are not easy to come by…"

H blushed, "I had it made in Miami, but I could never seem to find the right moment…"

Mich pulled him close and held him tightly, "Maybe it's just as well, we needed to clear a few things from the past before we could look forwards. In a way I'm glad you waited, this has been such a special weekend I wanted to remember it, now I know I will."

H chuckled, "Well I'm hoping that it won't be the last. Even when we get back to Miami, I want to try and get away for a weekend from time to time, do you think you'll be able to manage it?"

Mich grinned, "I don't see why not, I have a few plans to make when we get home with regards to the barn. I'm positive I can make sure that I get some time off."

H raised an eyebrow, "Plans for the barn? Care to share?"

Mich chuckled, "Not yet, most of its just ideas, but you'll be the first to know, I promise…"

"Good, now, are you ready?"

Mich was confused, "ready? For what?"

"Time to tell everyone the news. Although I think your Gran might have worked it out already…"

Mich began to laugh, "Do we have to tell everyone? Let the team in Miami wait – let's see if they notice anything when we get back. Just family for now. We cannot let Stuart or Jo find out just yet."

H nodded in agreement, "Sounds good to me, but let's enjoy a few more hours by ourselves first." Mich wasn't going to say no to that.

&&

Arriving at the Hall Mich suddenly became very shy and H nervous about giving the news to her family. They needn't have worried, walking into the living room; they were met by a bright-eyed Countess and smiling family.

Derek was the first to speak, "Well Horatio, did you and Mich have a good weekend?" H nodded his answer and began to talk about the show they had seen and the restaurant they had visited.

"Oh stop fooling around Derek, you always did take the long route to found out information. Now come on Kerys dear. Show me your left hand…"

Mich burst out laughing and walked over to her grandmother hand outstretched, "Well Gran, will it do?"

The Countess scrutinized the ring carefully while Derek winked at H. "Hmm a sapphire… Big enough to show he cares, but without being too ostentatious… Rare too as a solitaire. In platinum I see… Hmm your man has excellent taste my dear. I think it's wonderful." Reaching up, she gave Mich a hug, "I am so glad, it's about time you were happy."

Mich answered softly, "Never been better Gran…"

All hell was let lose as Amber and Kyra came flying through the door, "What's this about a ring?" H laughed at Kyra's demand as Mich waved her left hand at her eldest daughter. The girls' eyes opened wide before Kyra started crying and Amber flung herself into her mum's arms.

H caught hold of Kyra with concern on his face, "Are you ok sweetie?"

Kyra nodded trying to control her tears, "It's more than ok, it's perfect… Now you really are my dad."

Mich and H traded a glance and began to smile, though Amber was already asking questions, "does this mean I get to be a bridesmaid mum?"

Mich laughed, "Of course, Kyra too if she wants to be."

Kyra nodded, "I'd love to, as long as you don't make me wear peach or pink…"


	37. Chapter 37

Smiling the Countess glanced around the room and narrowed her eyes, "Well now that you two have finally sorted things out, I can get this year's ball organized…"

Mich gave her grandmother a sharp look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Countess chuckled, "My dear, you know we always have a charity ball here in the summer, the invitations are ready to go, I just needed to finalise a date."

"So why didn't you do it yet?"

The Countess smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Because from the moment I saw the two of you together, I knew something was going to happen and I wanted to be able to pass on the good news…"

Mich sighed, and traded glances with H, they had both agreed that they wanted something quiet for their wedding, but Horatio had pointed out that the Countess would have other ideas when it came to an engagement.

"You are her only grand-daughter Mich, it's obvious that she would want to celebrate a little and as you'll be living in Miami, she won't get much chance to see you. It'll give her a chance to show how proud she is…"

H gave her a slight nod, accepting the Countess' request, but Mich still wanted to know some details. "How many Gran… and when?"

The Countess gave a warm smile, "Well it'll be about 200 people – including your team and Horatio's of course and I thought the day before the opening of the Games would be good. This year we were raising money for the para-Olympic team – it would be great if they could meet you. We can also treat it as a 'Good Luck' party."

Mich was stunned, her grandmother had obviously been doing some serious thinking, "but Gran, it's only two weeks away…"

Her grandmother laughed… "Everyone has already been asked Kerys… I just had to give them a date, it won't be a problem."

Mich muttered under her breath and gave in, "Ok Gran… Now what do you want from me?"

The Countess gave H a wink and smiled softly, "You, my only grand-daughter are going to play your part for the last time and then you will be able to leave your title behind forever, never to use again… I know its what you want…" Mich dropped her head a little, finally realizing that her grandmother knew how much she hated it, how much she just wanted to be an 'ordinary' person.

"Horatio will be a wonderful escort, your dad will have to take him up to Saville Row for a new dinner jacket, the one he has is excellent, but it won't hurt to have a new one. We need to find an escort for Kyra though – she is the right age to introduce to everyone."

Mich grinned, "That's ok Gran, I know who we can ask to do that. Are you planning on getting the family heirlooms out?"

"Of course, do you have a preference?"

Mich thought for a moment and then began to smile, it would be a perfect way to say thank you to H for the night before, though inviting the team would be a problem, they couldn't let Jo find out… Resolving to speak to H later to arrange things, she turned to the Countess, "You know what Gran, I think I do… I need to see if I can get a new dress to match first though."

The Countess smiled and nodded, "Then take Kyra with you and find something for her, we have that set that belonged to your aunt when she was young, I think it would suit Kyra perfectly."

Mich nodded in agreement, but when H saw the look in her eyes, he knew she was up to something…

Calleigh sat in H's chair and stared out of the window, the Chief had passed by and congratulated her on the job she was doing so far. "You're keeping up Horatio's standards perfectly Calleigh, even pushing them a little. I'm recommending that your temporary promotion becomes a full one as of next week."

"But what will happen when H comes back? You can't keep us both on as Lieutenants; one of us will have to move."

The Chief just smiled, "Calleigh, Horatio only has six months left, I'm sure we can work something out when he returns, don't you?"

He had left at that point, Calleigh staring after him, not knowing what to think.

Rick Stetler was furious, the rumour of Calleigh's full promotion had just reached him and he couldn't help but throw the file he was reading across his office. Not only had he been passed up for promotion to Lieutenant when Horatio had come along, but now he was being overlooked again.

He went to speak to the Chief, but was blocked by his secretary, who informed him that the Chief was in a meeting and could not be disturbed. Hunting around, he found out that people avoided him and did not want to be drawn into conversation.

Looking at the clock he headed for the lab, Calleigh would still be on duty, though most of the team would have left by now, unless they had cases backed up too far. As he had hoped, most of the lab was in darkness and Calleigh was alone.

"So, I hear that you've been bumped up to full Lieutenant, CSI Duquesne."

Calleigh tried to ignore the note of sarcasm in Stetler's voice, "Yes, though I have to admit I wasn't expecting it."

"Really? Well that does surprise me…"

"What do you want Rick? You're obviously not here to pass on your congratulations.' Calleigh's voice started to rise in volume, she was fed up with him trying to push her around.

"This position was mine… Then along came Horatio and now you. I will not be denied, I will get this office one way or another. Watch your back Duquesne, or I'll be all over you."

Calleigh was about to return with a retort of her own, when a quiet voice came from the doorway, "Making threats Stetler? I would be careful if I were you." Rhys stepped forwards his face a mixture of anger and concern.

"No threats, just promises, anyway, what's it to you? Doesn't affect you."

"But that's where you're wrong Rick, you are undermining my superior officer and that is not a good idea. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe you didn't get the promotion because you're not good enough?"

Stetler swore loudly and pushed Rhys against the wall of the office, "Stay out of this, you are not from this PD, I will run things round here, don't you forget it."

Rhys laughed, "That's not what I've heard, in fact, the word I heard in association with you was less than complimentary. Now what was it? Oh yes… Incompetent…"

Rhys ducked as Stetler threw a punch in his direction, then retaliated with one of his own, connecting with Stetler's cheekbone, before pushing him face first against the wall. "Threaten anyone in this team again, and I will come after you…"

Stetler said nothing, but walked away with a nasty look on his face. Turning to Calleigh, a soft smile on his face, he was stunned when she rounded on him in fury. "jeez Rhys, you think that's going to help? He's going to turn on all of us now. What do you think you were playing at – I can handle Rick Stetler."

She started to walk past him, but Rhys caught her and pulled her close, "Cal, I know you can handle him, but the point is, why should you have to?"

Calleigh melted into his arms, he reminded her of the protective side of H, but he also had a hard edge, almost dangerous that she couldn't help but be attracted to. "And what will happen when you go back to the UK Rhys, he'll come back."

Rhys chuckled, "Not if the CCTV cameras are working, they'll show that Rick threw the first punch, his career is history. Besides, who said I was leaving?"

Calleigh pulled back a little and stared at him, "What do you mean? When H comes back…"

Rhys chuckled, "I've requested a permanent transfer, Derek has agreed and so there are no problems for us, I'll be working for the PD rather than the lab, Frank's quite happy for me to be partnered with him. Is that a problem for you?"

Calleigh's kiss answered that one…

Mich roared with laughter at the look on Horatio's face when Derek told them the news a couple of days later. She was in a happy mood – training was going well with the team and in just a few days Roger had sharpened Kyra's riding up so much Mich was amazed. "So, the love bug has hit Miami too."

H chuckled, "Gives you a problem though Derek, who's going to run the lab if Rhys isn't coming back?"

Derek smiled, "Frank, he's up for it, though I would appreciate it if you could give him the benefit of your experience until you go home."

H nodded, "My pleasure Derek, he's a good choice to lead the team, they all like and respect him. Our only problem will be Jo."

Derek grinned, "Not after she gets fired tomorrow… Stuart is already being watched and one of our people found the file he has on Mich this morning, so he's had it too."

Mich sighed, "You could have let me in on it dad. You've never kept me out of an operation before."

Derek smiled and gave her a squeeze, "Mich, I made the decision to keep you out of it, because you resigned a few years ago remember… Now, after we have the ball next week, win the gold medal at the games and then go back to Miami and live happily ever after…"

Mich laughed and sent a soft look in H's direction, "That's exactly what I plan on doing dad, but at least let me have the satisfaction of seeing Jo kicked out of her job…"

H grinned and gave her a hug, "Actually sweetheart, we were planning on letting you pass on the news personally." A few minutes later Mich was in stitches as H told her of his idea…"

The following day, Mich walked out of yet another Oxford Street store and sighed. Finally she had found something for the ball, Kyra was bubbling over with excitement as the two of them had gone shopping together.

"Oh mum, this was so much fun, I hope we can do it again when we go back home." Mich smiled softly, she didn't really like shopping, but being with Kyra had made the whole afternoon enjoyable. She had asked David to escort Kyra without her daughter's knowledge and couldn't wait to see either of their faces on that particular evening.

Kyra was going to look stunning and she knew that H would make sure that David would be just right too. Checking the time she smiled, it was just after 5.30, perfect. Looking around, she spotted a taxi and waved to flag him down, "Scotland Yard please."

Once they had arrived, Mich asked Kyra to wait in reception with the excuse that she didn't want H to see what they had bought and called him quickly.

H was already near Jo and as soon as he cut the line he walked into her section. Most of the team had left, and only the two of them were left. Quickly glancing in the microscope, to see what she was looking at, he paused as if hesitating to speak.

"Everything ok Horatio?" Jo had taken to using his full name a few days before, rather than the short H that the rest of the team had adopted.

H sighed, "Not really, I've found a few things out that I really can't ignore anymore. The problem is that I don't quite know what to do."

Jo looked at him speculatively, "How about we both get a coffee and sit down. Then you tell me what's wrong and I'll see if I can help you out…"

Leading the way to the break room, she didn't spot Mich hiding in the shadows, or H's smile at how easily he had taken her in.

H sat staring into his coffee cup, Mich had suggested that he draw in Jo as much as possible – if she tried anything, it would be the final nail in her coffin too. Derek had found out that she had compromised several cases through blind ignorance and basic incompetence, which was how Stuart had caught her.

She had also told Stuart that Frank was Kyra's father, being one of the few people that knew – mainly because she and Mich had been working together at the time. Stuart had used his Martin Jackson persona to pass the information on to Jack, who had reacted as Stuart had hoped though he hadn't expected Jack to become so abusive.

When Jack had been killed, Stuart had hoped to move in and take Jack's place, but Mich was so badly traumatized that she hadn't wanted to be with anyone ever again. It had taken all Horatio's sensitivity, compassion and love to help her recover.

Settling on the bench seat as close as she could get to Horatio without them touching, Jo prompted H to begin talking. After a few minutes of his false story, she had dropped her free hand to his leg gently caressing his thigh with her thumb.

"Oh Horatio, I am so sorry that this has happened to you. Mich is great when she is on her good side, but when the dark side takes over, she cannot be stopped and she really becomes scary."

H sighed and put his coffee down on the table, placing his had on top of Jo's and squeezing it gently, "We had an argument yesterday, I've never seen her so angry, she became… violent, I would never have expected it. I don't know what to do Jo, I can't help it – I still love her."

Jo dropped her head and placed her cup next to H's before answering, "I don't know what I can tell you Horatio, maybe you need some space to think things through." As H leant forwards, head between his hands, she moved her arm around his shoulders, holding him closely.

Gently, Jo caught his chin and turned his face so H would look at her, "My offer is still there Horatio, there's space at my place if you want to use it." H used the moment to look into her eyes and disliked what he saw there, though Jo's voice was soft and gentle, her eyes were cold, calculating. She may have been used by Stuart, but H knew that she was quite happy about her role in trying to split him and Mich up.

Leaning a little closer to her, H began to speak, "Jo, I…." Jo stopped him with a finger on his lips and smiled softly, before giving him a soft kiss, feeling his hand grasp hers.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Jo pulled away, startled by the person who had walked into the room, "Mich, I… uh… Nothing's going on."

Mich's eyes narrowed as she placed a box on the table, "Nothing? It looks like it. Get your personal stuff Jo, you are out of here. As ordered by Derek Foster."

It was then that Jo realized that H was sitting back against the chair, relaxed, a half smile on his face. "What on earth is going on?"

Mich chuckled nastily, "You're being fired Jo, for helping someone use their position to dictate their wishes in preference to the security of this country, you're lucky not to be arrested on a conspiracy charge."

"Horatio?'

H stood up and stepped beside Mich, "You could have walked away Jo, told us what was going on, but you chose not to. Now you have to suffer the consequences."

Mich wrapped her arm around H's waist, eyes sparkling, "You should know Jo, Horatio has done plenty of undercover work in his time, he was on to you from day one." Mich's words weren't quite true, but the shock on Jo's face was enough, "Frank will show you out, he's waiting for you by your desk. By the way, perhaps you'd like to pass on a message – if you do see Stuart Cook again – nothing, and no-one comes between Horatio and I."

As Mich reached up her hand to H's face and gave him a soft kiss, Jo caught sight of the ring on her finger, "You two are engaged?"

Mich grinned, "Oh yes, didn't you know? Everyone else does…" Jo dropped her head in defeat and walked out of the room to get her things, wondering what she would do now. One thing for sure, she would never get a job on the force again.

Horatio began to fidget with his bow tie, stopping himself when he spotted David doing the same thing. The two of them were waiting in a small ante room at the hall, along with Derek, who as usual, would be escorting the Dowager Countess to the ball.

That morning, he and Derek had dragged David up to London to get him a dinner jacket for this evening's ball, and the 21 year old was getting nervous. Very nervous. H wasn't much better. The Countess had insisted that the whole family get ready at the hall and stay overnight.

Mich and Kyra had been very busy – the team horses had been moved from Gatcombe to their stables just outside London in preparation for the Games and the adrenaline was starting to kick in. Kyra as groom had already been given an Olympic pass, meaning that Mich could give her two allotted 'family passes' to H and Amber.

H smiled, he had teased Mich about the situation "You had this planned all along…" Mich had grinned in return and winked back. He was not so happy when the girls had returned to the hall at 6.30 and promptly disappeared after tea, with a 'see you later'.

He and David had got ready together in the room that he and Mich would be sharing. Kyra was a couple of rooms further along and Amber next door to her, with David being given a small room in the guest quarter. H had expected to get ready with Mich, but was astounded when he was told by Derek that the 'girls' would be getting ready together.

A slight rustle of fabric made them all look up from their armchairs and H began to smile, the Countess looked every inch the aristocrat in her evening gown and he and Derek soon began dishing out the compliments. She chuckled, teasing both of them, "Flatterers, both of you…" spotting David, she smiled and spoke softly to Derek, "Oh yes, he will do nicely."

H raised his eyes skyward, spotting the look in her eyes, knowing that Kyra would be getting pressure from her great-gran to visit during the holidays. He was just about to say something, when he was stunned into silence as Kyra walked a little self-consciously through the door. With just a pair of ear-rings and bracelet as jewellery, the silver grey dress suited her colouring perfectly. She could have passed for someone at least three years older.

Glancing at David he smiled, knowing how the young man felt. Recovering, David gave the expected compliments and held out his arm for Kyra to link hers through and escorted her from the room, followed closely by the Countess and Derek.

"Kerys won't be long Horatio, she was just putting her shoes on."

H nodded, for some reason not being able to speak and walked to the window, needing to focus his attention on something other than waiting. A soft gasp at the door announced Mich's arrival and he turned slightly, a smile growing on his face as he stared at the sight before him.

Mich was staring too, framed by the window, H looked amazing, the navy blue tux enhancing the blue of his eyes and the red in his hair. She began to chuckle realizing the effect that they were having on each other. Unusually, she had gone for red, to match the rubies that her grandmother had lent her from the family collection.

H chuckled, normally accustomed to seeing Mich dressed in either black, white, or various shades of blue, the difference was astounding. Crossing the room, he stood in front of her, eyeing her up and down speculatively. Gently he teased her, "So… how come you don't dress like this at home?"

Mich fluttered her eyelashes seductively, "Why do you think? We wouldn't go out anywhere if I did… I have to admit, I'm tempted not to go tonight, seeing how you are dressed this evening."

Closing the distance between them, she sighed and slid her hand down H's shirt and inside his jacket. Catching her wrist quickly, H pulled her tightly to him, giving her a deep kiss which took her breath away. "Save it for later sweetheart, duty first."

Giving him a cheeky half smile, Mich moved back slightly, "Oh you bet I'm gonna save it for later… Just don't over do the dancing honey; I don't want a tired partner this evening."

H chuckled and led her out of the room to where the ball was in full swing, deciding there and then that he definitely had the best partner for the evening.


	38. Chapter 38

Mich slowly walked across the room, her eyes fixed on Horatio trying not to smile and lose her composure as she saw him swallow. Slowly she pushed him back until his legs connected with the chair and then gently put pressure on his shoulders to make him sit down.

H was staring at her, not sure whether he should be concerned or not. All evening Mich had been giving him little sideways glances, shy smiles and the occasional wink with a glint in her eye. Although she had been asked to dance several times, she had danced with him only. H had done his duty, dancing with the Countess on two occasions, but then she had sent him back to Mich, "Never leave your lady for too long Horatio, lest she thinks that you have forgotten her."

Everyone at the ball had passed on their congratulations, along with best wishes and good luck for the team. At first Mich had smiled graciously, but after 10pm, when she had left for a short while to put Amber to bed, he had sensed Mich becoming agitated, dragging him to dance on several occasions so she didn't have to speak to anyone.

The Countess had left at midnight, sending a look in Kyra's direction that sent a strong message. Within moments, Kyra had come to wish them goodnight and left, David also leaving shortly after for his own room. Mich had sighed, "At last, we'll be able to leave soon. Dad will do the honours of host tonight."

Within half an hour, the two of them had escaped, Mich leading him to their room. He had asked what the hurry was, to be met with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow. Now, sitting in the chair, he realized that Mich had plans for the evening that were just for the two of them. As she closed her eyes and gave him a soft kiss, H could feel her fingers gently tugging at the bow tie until it slowly slipped undone.

As she slowly pulled away, he wanted to reach up and pull her back for another, deeper kiss, but her eyes snapped open and he froze, paralysed by her gaze. A quick twist and she had undone the top two buttons of his dress shirt, "Just to make you a little more comfortable…" She had then stepped away and slowly began to remove the jewellery she was wearing, turning her back to him as she carefully put each piece away in its box on the dressing table.

Normally H would have moved to help, but there was something about the slow deliberate way she was moving that stopped him, add to that the look in her eyes as she watched him in the mirror. H took a deep breath wanting to say something, but couldn't. His brain was screaming something at him, something about Mich's training, but he couldn't work it out.

Finished with her jewellery, Mich walked back towards him, again that slow deliberate movement, finally H found his voice. "Mich, I…" he stopped, she had placed a finger on her lips in a gesture for him to stay quiet. He was glad Mich had loosened his collar because he was suddenly feeling very warm.

One corner of Mich's mouth lifted into a half smile as she gave him another soft kiss, whilst removing his jacket. Instead of just putting it to one side, she carefully hung the tux on its hanger and placed it in the wardrobe.

Stepping back slightly, Mich gradually unzipped her dress and let it slide slowly to the floor, H had flinched, obviously wanting to get up to help her, but a sharp look had stilled him in his chair. She allowed herself a smile, H's reaction to her underwear was exactly as it should be. She had thought very carefully about what to put on, knowing that H liked black, but wanting to do something a little different.

She had spotted the basque and suspenders in an Oxford Street lingerie shop and had hesitated between the red and black. Pure silk, it had warmed to her skin immediately and she had fallen in love with it. Eventually she had chosen the red, because she wanted to take her time – and the black would have provoked an instant reaction.

Not that she wasn't getting one. She had left her shoes on and was standing sideways on to H, so he got a good view of her legs, long and shapely due to the riding, enhanced by the heels she was wearing. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye as she bent at the waist to pick up the dress carefully showed that her movements had the desired result.

Walking back to where he was sitting in the chair, she gave him a soft smile when she saw the questioning look on his face and gave him his answer. "Honey, two weeks ago, you loved me like never before, now it's my turn… I want to say thank you."

H stared at her, everything slotting into place. Mich was slowly seducing him as if they had never met, putting him first, her glance reproving if he tried to make a move. Sitting on his lap, she leisurely undid the buttons of his shirt, and removed the cufflinks carefully, standing up and walking back to the dressing table to place them next to her own things.

Next she gently pulled off his shirt and proceeded to massage his shoulders, the pressure causing H to close his eyes in enjoyment. The next moment he could feel the soft butterfly kisses moving along his jaw and down his neck. He hissed as Mich's nails scratched down his spine, though she had not pressed that hard.

Feeling her moving, he noted that her kisses were descending, preceded by her fingers, gently caressing his chest, ribs, waist. He shuddered when her finger reached the waistband of his trousers and he lifted slightly as Mich undid the button and removed them. He opened an eye long enough to see her carefully placing the trousers over a chair before she returned to him, an amused smile on her face.

Removing his shorts, Mich couldn't help but give a wicked chuckle in her throat as she renewed her kisses on H's chest and began to work downwards. Dipping her tongue quickly into his belly button, Mich felt H squirm between her hands and caught hold of his hips to stop him from moving again.

Reaching her target, she opened her mouth and enveloped him slowly and completely, hearing the sharp intake of breath and the soft sigh that followed. She withdrew slightly, drawing her teeth gently across the sensitive skin and felt H shudder before drawing him deeper again, her tongue once more playing with him, sliding under the foreskin.

Drawing him back in, H stiffened in pleasure, his head falling back slightly. He couldn't remember the last time someone had done this to him, dominated him so completely. As Mich released him slightly, a sudden awareness came to his mind. He was the dominant partner in their loving, not because he took the lead, but because Mich allowed it.

A tear came to his eye as he finally appreciated how much Mich trusted him, letting him take control, especially after what Jack had done to her. Feeling her drawing him in once more, H moaned softly, eyes opening wide as he realized how deeply she was pulling him. Many of his past lovers had been afraid due to his size, yet Mich continued, slowly but surely.

His fingers ached to run through her hair, to hold her head so he could push himself in completely, but he resisted, if Mich trusted him this much, then he could trust her too. He forced himself to relax, keeping his hands by his sides.

Mich smiled, finally H understood what she wanted. As she withdrew, she again played him with her tongue, feeling him flinch. Closing her mouth more tightly around him she started to pull him in, sucking gently on the flesh, she swallowed, pulling him in more deeply, hearing the sigh issue from his mouth.

H was stunned as Mich kept pulling, feeling her swallow again, he realized that she was drawing him more deeply than he had ever felt. The next moment he could feel her lips at the base of his shaft and moaned as she continued to suck, feeling his tip against the back of her throat.

A few moments more and Mich began to sense H quickening, his hips involuntarily starting to move against her. Not wanting him to release just yet, she stopped what she was doing and began to return her kisses upward. She could sense his slight disappointment and chuckled, "Not yet sweetheart, I want you to enjoy much more…"

Returning to her position on his lap, she attacked his lips with hers, kissing him deeply almost savagely as she caught a lip with her teeth. "Mich…" H's voice was hoarse in her ear, begging her to let him do something other than just sit in the chair.

Smiling, she caught his hands and placed them on her thighs, allowing him to begin caressing her softly, slowly. The contact was electric, persuading Mich that she did not have to hold back, so when H began to pull her tightly to him she chuckled and stood, allowing him to remove her panties.

Settling on to him slowly, Mich couldn't help but take a deep breath at the sensation the movement provoked within her own body, arching her back in reaction. As she began to move herself against him, Mich could feel H tightening his grip around her hips, pulling her onto him harder.

H gasped, Mich had caught him by surprise, but he exulted in what she was doing. The fact that she was still dressed in most of her underwear was a bigger turn-on than he had expected, feeling the pressure building inside, he fought to control it, suppressing the sensations rising through his body, wanting this to last as long as possible.

Caressing Mich's thighs, he found the stocking top and smiled, sliding his fingers along until he found the fastening he was about to snap it open, releasing the nylon when Mich nipped his ear, "Don't you dare…" Sliding his hands around her thighs, he felt another shiver of pleasure as his hands moved between stockinged leg and soft skin.

He shuddered as Mich tightened against his length feeling a corresponding shiver in her own body. He felt her pushing a little more strongly, noting that she had changed position slightly, heightening her own pleasure to match his.

Returning his hands to her hips he pulled at her again asking her to quicken, but she refused, maintaining the rhythm she had achieved. Sliding his right hand further around her back, H dropped his left to where they were joined and began to rub Mich gently with his thumb. She snapped her eyes open and chuckled indicating that he could continue.

A gentle stroke and Mich gasped, feeling the fire burning inside of her, catching the back of the chair with her hands, she dipped her head to catch H's lips with her own, shuddering as he continued to tease her with his thumb. She began to drive against him more forcefully, feeling her own body beginning to shake.

Knowing she was close, H stopped teasing and held Mich's hips tightly, a groan escaping his lips as she began to catch him with each drive. Encouraging her H closed his eyes and bit his lip as he could no longer restrain the sensations within, "Sweetheart, just a little more…"

Mich doubled her efforts, it was the first time H had let her take over completely, though he had shared a little. As she felt the tremor building in his muscles, her own began to tremble and she could not stop the soft cry releasing from her throat.

H erupted within her, the shock waves consuming both of them as Mich herself burst around him, the two of them climaxing together. Breathing heavily, Mich dropped her forehead to Horatio's shoulder, afraid to move, lest her legs not hold her upright after such effort.

She shivered as an aftershock caught her, stimulating a response in H, making him chuckle softly. Gently pushing her hair out of her eyes, he gave her a tender look, "Will you please remind me of tonight when I start taking the lead too often?"

Mich smiled and kissed him softly on the forehead, "Maybe… I could do this on special occasions." H chuckled and gently pushed her so he could get up, leading her to the bed, he smiled, "Well in that case, I guess it's my turn now…"

At first he was unsure about whether he would be able to perform again, Mich had emptied him so completely, but smiled when he saw her half clothed body and felt himself stirring once more. By the time he had removed the remainder of her underwear, he was sure to be ready and he knew what to do to make sure Mich was ready too…

He paused, looking at her, a soft smile on his face, wondering where he should start. Mich winked at him, making him chuckle, pulling her close, he kissed her deeply, feeling her melting into his arms at his touch. In his bare feet, she was almost as tall as him with her heels on, the thought made him smile and he slowly began to inspect what she was wearing, his fingers caressing her shoulders at first, dropping lower as he looked her up and down.

Looking closely at the basque, he saw he had two options –either undoing the laces at the front, or undoing the hooks at the back. He decided to leave it for now and began to push Mich back towards the bed, where she first sat, then lay down.

H took his time, running his fingers down each leg, feeling Mich quiver, a smile appearing on her face. Taking off first one shoe, then the other, he began to massage her feet gently, noticing the sleepy look she gave him in return. He knew she was not sleepy, but enjoying what he was doing – after an evening of dancing, his light touch must be a relief to her aching feet.

Slowly his hands traveled to her thighs, resisting the urge to continue to a more intimate place, stopping at her stocking tops. He quickly released the fastenings and leisurely began to roll down the stockings, one at a time. He was surprised to hear a sharp intake of breath and glanced at Mich's face, realizing that her eyes were closed. His touch must have been lighter than he thought.

Mich squirmed as she felt H's kisses traveling up her legs, his touch so light she could barely feel it. She was surprised that he hadn't undone the basque yet, but said nothing, enjoying what he was doing. When H caught her hips tightly, she knew exactly where he was going and bit her lip in anticipation.

Thrilling at his light touch, Mich could not help letting out a sigh as he gently began to suck and nibble at her most sensitive of areas and when he brought his tongue into play, she couldn't help arching off the bed in pleasure.

Feeling himself hardening in reaction to her move H had an idea and smiled to himself. Rolling her over onto her stomach and kneeling between her thighs, he began to caress her body up to her shoulders, where he began to massage firmly. Mich sighed again in response to his actions. Continuing the massage down her spine H almost chuckled to himself knowing he was about to surprise her.

Catching her hips, H thrust himself deeply inside, pulling Mich tightly to him. Crying out in astonishment at the sudden move, Mich lifted off the bed into H's arms as he had anticipated. With her resting on his thighs, H continued to push deeper inside, hearing her moan in pleasure. Encircling her waist with one arm, H pulled Mich closely to him, the other traveling upwards.

Sliding his hands inside the silk, he freed first one breast then the other and began to stroke the nipple gently, Mich shivering at his touch. He added the soft kisses he knew she loved along her shoulder to her neck, hearing her gasp as a result.

Her body quivering, Mich had to bite her lip in reaction to H's latest move. She could feel every slight movement he made, yet he held her so tightly to his chest she couldn't do anything in return. She was about to say something when she felt the hand at her waist move downwards, a finger circling gently. As he caught her sensitive spot, H gently bit into Mich's shoulder and continued stroking with his fingers, feeling the shiver through her body.

In a few moments, her breathing became heavy and ragged so he pushed a little harder into her body, feeling the muscles stiffen around him. He tightened his grip, pulling Mich more tightly into his chest as she convulsed against him, hearing her cry out in ecstasy, her whole body shaking.

"Horatio… please…"

The sound of Mich's voice stirred him further, so he released her from his grasp, watching with predatory interest as she turned over. Moving slowly, Mich locked his eyes with hers as she deliberately closed the distance between them, raising herself up before settling down onto him, carefully sliding her legs around his waist one at a time before beginning to move against him firmly.

"I had my turn; you had yours, now… shall we share?"

H nodded, "As long as you let me finish…" The smile on her face was the only answer he needed.

As Mich attacked his lips with her own, he could feel her tightening against him returning the pleasure he had given her before, hands now free as hers encircled his neck, H began to unhook the basque slowly, struggling to concentrate as Mich moved against him.

Pulling the basque away from Mich's body, H tore his lips away from hers and began to suckle, Mich leaning back, allowing him to envelope his lips around her breast, knowing the enjoyment he took from the move. In turn, she began to push against him more firmly, loving the length and width of him inside her body.

As a moan issued from her throat H took over, lowering her to the bed gently, building his drives more strongly, Mich at first running her fingertips down his sides, then up his spine as he dropped to his elbows. Tightening his grip around her shoulders, H could feel that Mich was already shaking and smiled as her eyes opened and closed enjoying the sensations that were close to overwhelming her.

Pushing in more powerfully, H snarled with gratification as Mich lifted to meet him, again and he felt her shudder, his own muscles protesting at the abuse he was inflicting upon them. Once more and Mich called out involuntarily, but neither were quite ready for the final onslaught.

Feeling the pressure building in his loins, H called out to Mich for her help and got it, her fingers digging into the muscle either side of the base of his spine. In turn, he drove in forcefully causing Mich to arch her back in rapture.

The final movement caused them both to explode simultaneously the next second, each being carried on a separate journey of exultation, yet each knowing on some primeval level they were still together. Mich, her body pulsing with euphoria was the first to return to reality, holding H tightly to her as his breath, ragged and heavy, slowly began to return to normal.

Feeling her shudder beneath him, H opened his eyes and gave Mich a soft tender kiss as she looked up at him in wonderment. "Where have you been hiding that away all these years?"

H laughed quietly as he slid slowly off her body, pulling her with him, "Thought I'd keep it for a special occasion…" Mich chuckled in return and snuggled under his arm, head resting between his chest and shoulder. As Mich began to caress his chest H turned, kissing her deeply, his free hand sliding through her hair, catching the back of her head.

Mich's response was automatic, leaning into him, responding in kind. Hesitantly releasing her lips, H chuckled once more, "Again sweetheart? I might need a slight rest first, but I have to know, how can I repay you for keeping me young?"

Giving him a tender look Mich sighed, "I think I need to get my breath back first too… As for payment, I get that every morning when I wake up in your arms."

The soft tender kisses that followed became deeper and ensured that it was a while before they fell asleep.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Mich took a deep breath, for the past 20 minutes she had been working Dream in, warming up his muscles – and hers – ready for the trial ahead. She was currently just walking him around on a loose rein, encouraging him to lower his head and relax. She was quietly cursing herself for being so tense, a few butterflies she didn't mind, they helped her to focus, but she hadn't been this nervous in years…

"Michelle Bailey, five minutes…" Mich nodded at the steward, acknowledging that the competition was about to begin.

To try and stop the nerves from building, she cast her mind back to the opening ceremony. At first she had been annoyed at having to wait, as tradition dictated that the home nation went in last, but the atmosphere began to get to her and soon she was laughing and joking with the other athletes.

Horatio, Kyra and Amber were already somewhere inside the stadium watching the display that preceded the entrance of the athletes. Then a murmur came through the UK contingent and they started lining up. Mich joined Julia and Katrina, William and James as the five of them took their places within the ranks of the British competitors.

Walking into the stadium, Mich had almost been deafened by the roar from the crowd, both she and Katrina, representing their country for the first time were moved almost to tears, William and James chuckling at their reaction.

The thoughts helped to ease her mind slightly, but she still couldn't help feeling nervous, she was the first to go in the whole competition and knew she would be the rider the judges would use as a benchmark. As a result, the marking would be tough, Julia had been talking to her quietly, murmuring the test movements to her, so Mich would not forget what she had to do.

A steward called her name and she slowly began walking towards the arena. She could hear the crowd now, the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation. The media had criticized Roger for putting her first, which had made her a little annoyed and she was determined to prove them wrong.

Pausing at the entrance, waiting for the announcement over the loudspeaker, she swallowed. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath then felt a hand touch her knee and smiled softly, nerves evaporating almost immediately…

"Hey sweetheart, you all set?"

Opening her eyes, she grinned at Horatio, "I didn't think you were going to make it."

H nodded, "Damn traffic, thank god for our passes though, I was able to find parking quickly. Your gran sends her best wishes and asked me to give you this."

Looking down, a tear came to her eye as she saw what was in H's hand, "Grandad's lucky pin. I didn't know she still had it." H quickly fastened the pin to the lapel of her long coat as the announcer began to speak.

Giving her a soft kiss to the back of her hand, H sent her on her way. "Go for it, no-one to stop you now…"

Smiling, Mich nudged Dream with her heels and sent him in, glad to hear the spectators growing silent, not wanting to look around, she focused on the ground in front of her and started to concentrate. Dream moved forward steadily and Mich began to feel him relax, though from the way his ears were moving, she knew he was wary of the crowd.

Trotting him around, she gave him a few exercises to get his attention, when she received the signal to begin. Taking a deep breath, Mich raised her head slightly to help straighten her back a little more and asked Dream to move.

Entering confidently, she began to go through each movement in her head, at the same time hearing Julia's quiet voice in her mind. 'Legs back a little further for the walk, relax the shoulder a little more for the half pass…' As she completed the first few movements, a small smile began to creep across her face, Dream had totally relaxed and was starting to show off – his stride lengthening, changes in pace crisper.

The final halt was as good as it had ever been, possibly better. After her salute, Mich heard the crowd shouting, clapping, cheering… After leaving the enclosed area, Mich dropped her reins onto Dream's neck, throwing her arms around him, it was the best performance he had ever given.

Grinning, she joined the team in the warm-up arena all of them ecstatic, "Way to go Mich, brilliant start, they'll never say that you can't do dressage again…" Mich chuckled at William's words, accepting the hugs from her team mates which she returned happily. Kyra had taken Dream back to the stable, feeding him polo mints as fast as she could get them into his mouth.

Glancing around, Mich spotted Roger standing quietly to one side. Seeing her looking his way, he smiled and nodded, before walking back inside to watch the next competitor.

As the announcer began speaking, the team members held their breath, all around them riders paused in their warm ups, waiting for the first score to be given. Mich's result would dictate the way nearly every other competitor would ride.

Team coaches stood with their teams, some spotting with dismay that Mich had been working on her weakest discipline. Many had been surprised that she had been chosen to ride first, thinking that she would not be able to cope with the pressure; others realizing that Roger needed Mich to be the lead rider in the cross country phase.

Although the equestrian sports were all about the individual horse and rider combination, when four individuals were put together as a team, tactics invariably came in to play, no more so than here at the Olympic Games.

"Michelle Bailey, Dream Weaver, Number 472, Great Britain, scores 142.6 points. Giving her 57.4 penalties to carry to the next phase."

Mich was stunned, while the team celebrated round her, "Oh my god… I haven't scored below 60 penalties in years…"

James picked her up and swung Mich around – her top hat almost flying across the arena. "Terrific Mich… You've given us an amazing start."

Mich grinned, knowing that both William and Julia would almost definitely score better, but she had to agree with her captain. With her score, the stress was off the British team putting the favourites New Zealand under pressure to perform.

Leaving the team, Mich started to walk back to the stable block, the adrenaline in her body gradually easing away. Slowly, the realization of what she had done sunk in and she began to chuckle to herself. Just as she arrived, Amber ran into her, almost knocking her off her feet.

"Oh mum, you were great, Dream was marvelous, people couldn't believe that he's only six years old." Mich laughed at her youngest daughter's excitement, giving her a hug. Kyra was walking Dream around, allowing him to snatch a mouthful of grass.

"He so relaxed mum, just as if you took him on a ride around the farm."

"Good, give him a few more minutes while I change, then you can put him back inside so we can go and watch the others – I want to get an idea of the placings."

"Need any help?"

Mich turned and raised an eyebrow at H's voice, grinning at the twinkle in his eye. "If you're offering to help me get my boots off, I'm not going to say no, they're so darn tight I won't manage by myself."

Horatio chuckled, normally Mich rode in long rubber boots, but for dressage, she needed the knee high leather boots as part of her outfit – and hated them. Waiting for her to sit down on a nearby bale of hay, he began tugging gently, to no avail.

Pulling a little harder, he and Mich roared with laughter as he pulled her off the bale and the two of them landed in a heap on the floor. Grinning at her parents fooling around, Kyra led Dream inside the box and let him go, when she came out, she smiled as David appeared and began to help Mich with her boots.

Her work done, Kyra disappeared with David into the crowd while H and Mich followed more slowly, Amber running in front of them. A pair of unfriendly eyes following their every move.

That evening the British team were in high spirits, with the first two riders from each team now finished, the provisional placings could be seen. William had scored well in the dressage, and was placed higher than Mich with only 53 penalties, but with both of them under the 60 penalty barrier, the team was looking at a top five position when the remaining riders finished the dressage the following day.

Also in the running were favourites New Zealand, the USA, Germany and Ireland. Individually, Mich was currently lying in seventh place, William second, but she knew she would drop down further, there were some excellent dressage riders coming the following day.

The team had met up with family members at the pub in Windsor where H had eaten lunch with Derek on his arrival and everyone was joking and laughing. Mich stood quietly to one side smiling at the jokes that were being told but saying little.

Roger walked over and gave her a hug, "Always the loner Mich?"

She gave him a rueful smile, "I'm not a great one for mixing Roger that is the truth, I feel… uncomfortable in large groups."

Roger nodded, "Which is why people think you can't be a team player, but today proved that you can. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"I'd like to walk the cross country course again… There is something about that one fence that is bugging me – I want to take a good look at it. When are James and Julia riding?"

Roger thought for a moment, "James has a 10.30 start time, Julia is much later, around 3.00 in the afternoon, she's one of the last to go."

Mich nodded, "Ok, I'll go and have a look over lunch then, I don't want to miss watching the others ride."

Roger nodded and leaving Mich to her thoughts went to speak to James quietly. Mich sighed, she was beginning to feel a little self conscious, especially now she had heard a couple of news reports. Reporters calling her the 'Dark Horse' of the competition or Roger's 'Secret Weapon', she didn't like the publicity at all.

A hand slid around her waist and she smiled, Horatio always made her feel better. "You ok sweetheart?'

"A little better, now you've arrived. Where are the girls?"

"Amber's playing with James' son and I think you can guess where Kyra is…"

Mich chuckled, "Alone?"

H shook his head, "No, all the grooms are celebrating together, David insisted – they're in a pub just down the road – it's getting a little noisy in there.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, apparently one of the rowers is from the local club and he qualified for the final of his event today. So when they found out that the Eventing team are doing well too…"

"Drinks on the house?"

"Not far off it…"

Mich sighed, sitting on a log that was near the first part of the 'Maritime Complex' she glanced around her at the three parts of the combination. The first was a simple corner type fence supposed to represent the bows of a boat – it could be jumped across the corner, or as a double of two slightly smaller fences. The first option was quicker, but had the disadvantage of being narrow, encouraging the horse to run out to one side.

After this, the rider had to make a U-turn back to the second part, a ships capstan, where the horse had to jump onto, then immediately off a mushroom shaped platform. Neither of these parts worried Mich, the team had worked on these types of fences, and each rider was comfortable with them.

It was the last part which bugged her, the Anchor… according to the course directions, three parts of the anchor had to be jumped. The cross arm at the top, the centre beam and the curve at the bottom. Most riders had selected a route jumping the cross arm and the curve in a straight line, before circling around to jump the middle.

It was a long route, and would cost time. Add to that, the arms of the Anchor were different heights, so someone jumping the low part of the cross arm would have to jump the high part of the curve, or vice versa. Suddenly an idea came to her…

Horatio sat quietly, saying nothing. Mich had been walking around the fence for 20 minutes, quietly cursing to herself. She had explained to him that the long route of going around this late in the course would cause time penalties, something that the team could not afford.

He watched as Mich jumped up from her place next to him and ran down the little hill. Starting at the low part of the cross arm, he was curious as he saw her pace out the distance between the cross arm and centre beam, then the centre beam and final curve.

Mich paced out the distance again… and started to smile, the measurement was spot on. Checking the diagram on her page, she checked the placement of the flags, white on the left, red on the right. Her smile stretched to a grin, the route she had spotted meant that the horses would be jumping the lower options all the way through – easier for them, she just had to check the line.

"Horatio, can you give me a hand a second?"

H jogged down to her, "What do you need me to do?" Mich chuckled and asked him to stand about three metres behind the curved rail while she ran back to the cross beam.

"Can you move a little to your left please honey?" As H did so slowly, he halted when Mich asked him to stop. Watching her face become thoughtful H smiled, understanding what she was doing, looking for a point in the distance that would be her marker, to help her find a straight diagonal line through the three fences.

Mich frowned, she couldn't see anything… Then something caught her eye, taking a few steps back she started to grin. A few more steps and she had her marker; from Dream's back she would be able to see it clearly, the dome of the Royal Observatory.

Returning to H's side, she tucked into her favourite place under his arm and smiled, "Got it… The question is whether anyone else has spotted it – and if they haven't, whether they will copy me."

"Does it make a difference?"

Mich nodded, "If they copy me, they may not ride the line correctly, and the horse might refuse or run out. More penalties for them, better for us."

"And if Dream runs out?"

Mich gave him a frosty look, "He won't…"

Horatio wisely said nothing as the two of them made their way back to the arena.

Arriving back at the arena, Mich found Roger talking to James. The team captain had come back with a score of 61 penalties, earning some teasing from the rest of the team, which he took good naturedly. Like Mich, his strength was in the jumping and a score of 61 was not at all bad at this level.

"So, how are we looking?"

Roger smiled at Mich's question. "If Julia gets under 65 penalties, we are confirmed in the top five for the team. Under 60 and we'll be top three. If she manages to get a 50, we'll be leading."

Checking the individual totals, Mich noted that William was sitting in third, while she had slipped to tenth. She also noted that there were only four competitors left to ride. She smiled, she would be in the top 15…

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Quietly, Mich showed him her diagram. "That late in the course, the horses will be less fresh and slower, we treat it as a fence in a show jumping course and all the horses will get through it and it has the advantage of being the lower options too…"

Roger nodded, "You'll be the first to go… No heroics Mich, but if anyone can ride this line it's you."

Horatio stood to one side feeling a little nervous, Mich was receiving her final instructions from Roger. After the dressage, the team were lying in second place, Mich in eleventh. H didn't like this part of the Eventing competition, the third days 'Endurance' phase. To those outside the equestrian world, Endurance meant cross country, but it was more complex than that.

Endurance was split into four stages. Stages one and three were designated 'roads and tracks', flat stages that had to be completed in a time limit. Stage two was the 'Steeplechase' a series of identical birch fences over a set distance which again had to be completed within a time limit.

After stage three, the riders and horses were given a ten minute break before they began the fourth stage, the cross country itself…

Over the years, Mich had had a few nasty falls, which H hated seeing, though she had always recovered fully afterwards. He pulled a face, and tried to compose himself, Mich would see that he was worried; he had to hide it as much as possible.

Kyra was walking Dream around, stages one to three had been straightforward and Mich was pleased with the way he was going. She smiled when Roger told her that none of the riders before her had taken the short route through the Anchor combination.

When she was given the five minute warning, Mich nodded and turned to get a drink from the steward nearby when she felt a sharp pain in her back which disappeared almost immediately. Seeing her face turn slightly pale, Horatio walked over, "You ok?"

"My back… Just a sharp twinge, but it's gone now."

Roger was concerned, "Are you going to be ok?"

Mich nodded, "I think so, Can you help me tighten up my body protector, it'll help…" Roger nodded and tightened it for her before helping her to get on.

Settling into the saddle, Mich walked to the start box when she heard her name called. While she waited, taking deep breaths, she glanced around, Union Jacks were everywhere making her smile. Her last glance was towards where H and Roger stood side by side. As the last ten seconds counted down, she saw Roger nod and H smile his encouragement, though she could tell he was worried.

Chuckling to herself, she picked up the reins and nudged Dream into a canter, focusing on the first fence. He jumped it easily and began to settle into his stride, Mich allowed him to relax, the first three fences were straightforward, after that, she would really need to get into the saddle and ride.

Horatio took a deep breath and began to follow Roger to the video tent where they could watch Mich's progress around the course. Glancing back quickly to see if Kyra was ok, he saw a face in the crowd that made his blood turn cold.

It was Stuart Cook…


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Horatio was torn between going after Cook or going to watch Mich, in the end he picked up his cell and called Derek, who was also startled to know that Stuart was there. "Problem is Horatio, we can't stop him from watching. He hasn't done anything to threaten her and as her father, I'm not allowed to have anything to do with the surveillance operation – it's seen as a conflict of interest."

"I know Derek, but his tail could at least have warned us, think how Mich would have reacted if she'd seen him."

Derek agreed, "I know. I'm with you on that, look I'll make a couple of calls and see if I can get him moved on, you keep an eye on Mich. How's she doing?"

"Clear over the first three stages, she's just started the cross country."

H heard Derek chuckle, "Giving you a few heart attacks no doubt, give her a hug from me when she's done and let me know how she went."

H acknowledged Derek's request and walked into the tent, a quick glance around revealing that Cook was nowhere to be seen.

&

Mich steadied Dream up a little; they were approaching the first major challenge of the course, a rail, downward slope, a ditch, an upward slope and another rail. The combination was traditionally called a coffin and no-one liked to end up in the bottom of the ditch.

Ears pricked, Dream did as he was told and went through effortlessly, earning a pat on the neck for his effort, Mich smiling to herself. Only two fences really concerned her, the Anchor at the end, because she really wanted to ride the short route that she had found and the second of the water complexes.

The water itself was not the problem, but the two logs coming out were. Horses had to put in more effort jumping out of water and the two logs were close together, needing to be 'bounced'. The horses had to land after the first and take off immediately for the second, without putting a stride in between. Dream had a habit of jumping the second part of 'bounce' fences a little too big.

As Dream covered the distances between fences Mich frowned, the ground was not that great. The result of watering the course by bowser meant that some parts were softer than others; it was something the rest of the team would need to know.

Approaching the quarry steps, Mich gave Dream his head and he popped up the set of three easily, though she had to steady him for the drop on the other side. As he landed on the slightly harder ground, Mich again felt a slight pain in her back and cursed a little though it went away.

&

Roger was not happy with what he was seeing, Mich was riding well, but he could see that she was being a little careful in some places and stories coming back from the earlier riders confirmed what all the coaches were dreading. The course itself was fine, but the ground was going to cause problems.

Checking his watch, he noted that Mich was making good time and was slightly up on the clock, though if she continued to be careful about the ground there was always the possibility of time faults. Only one rider had come inside the optimum so far and he had ridden faster than Roger would have liked anyone in his team to do – it could result in a muscle strain that would eliminate the horse from the following days jumping.

Hearing his name called, he saw Katrina coming into the tent. "I just saw one of the German riders coming in, he told his coach that the water bounce is jumping tight and that the riders should take it slowly."

Roger nodded, "Let the others know as they come in." He took a deep breath and hoped that Mich would be ok. Katrina nodded and left quietly, leaving her coach in deep thought.

&

Mich walked around quietly, trying to retain her focus. She was currently being 'held', the rider in front of her had fallen and until he had been treated, she would have to wait. Asking the steward, she found out that the French rider had fallen going into the water as his horse had jumped extra big and stumbled on landing.

"Ok, you can go on… I've been told to give you a five second count."

Mich nodded and once again was underway, smiling at Dream's smooth stride. Over the next rail which was a straightforward fence lying on the Greenwich meridian, she began thinking about the water which would be next.

She shook her head when she saw the crowds and chuckled to herself. The spectators always gathered around the water jumps, wanting to see who got an early bath, Mich decided she wasn't going to be one of them. Mindful of the steward's words, she slowed Dream down and let him hop neatly into the water, the log in the middle of the water wasn't a problem either, so she let him float over.

Looking at the bounce logs, Mich moved Dream slightly to the left where she had noticed they were further apart. Dream lifted neatly over the first, but she could feel him bunching his muscles for the second and knew what was coming.

Being ready for him meant that she didn't fall off, but Mich gasped as she felt the spasm in her back as Dream launched himself over the second part. Dropping her reins a little she let her horse select his own speed while she took deep breaths, fighting to contain the pain she was now in. She had five fences left to jump including the Anchor. She had to get home; the team would need to know about the water.

&

Horatio's heart was in his mouth, he could see the look on Mich's face that meant she was hurting. Roger noticed too and began to swear quietly. Mich had approached at a steady pace and the horse could have jumped it neatly, but characteristically had leaped over the second part. Then he smiled, Mich had shown him what the team needed to do, he called Katrina.

"Tell the riders that they need to go through the water on a steady stride and jump the left hand side of the bounce." Katrina nodded and made a note on her pad, she would wait to see what Roger said about the Anchor before she left.

&

Mich picked up her reins and checked her stop watch. She had agreed with Roger to take the long route if she had time, but glancing down knew that she was behind the time; she had to make it up. Keeping Dream steady she jumped the corner of the ship's bow and popped him over the capstan.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and looked for the line she had spotted, on the diagonal through the Anchor. Spotting the dome, she smiled to herself, it was now or never.

&

Roger and H held their breath, both realizing that Mich was taking the short route. As Dream cantered in, H realized that the horse was extremely relaxed, almost to himself he whispered, "Come on boy, bring her home…"

&

Mich took a deep breath, sitting deep in the saddle, she focused on the line, knowing she had to jump the cross arm and the centre beam on the angle. Dream hopped the first part, he was about to hesitate when he felt Mich nudge him with her heels and popped over the second, grinning, Mich kicked and gave him his head for the last rail which he soared over, landing in a fast stride.

For the first time, Mich noticed the Union Jacks being waved by the spectators on the course, heard the cheers of the crowd. Giving Dream a hug she urged him on to the final three fences – no longer worried about the fences themselves, but wanting to save the time she had gained, forgetting the pain in her back.

&

Roger, H and Kyra were waiting for her, grinning like Cheshire cats. Mich had just managed to get inside the time by two hundredths of a second. She took off her saddle and went to the scales to be weighed in – a formality that eventing shared with racing. Walking back to Roger and H she suddenly felt dizzy, the last thing she remembered was H calling out as everything turned black and the ground rushed up to meet her.

&

Mich opened her eyes slowly, trying to work out where she was. A half smile crossed her face when she realized that H was holding her left hand and she could hear Kyra's voice nearby, arguing with someone who wanted her to move away.

Trying to sit up, she was gently pushed back, "Easy sweetheart, stay where you are for a minute." Mich nodded, the slight movement had resulted in a twinge that reminded her why she was lying on the floor.

"At least let Kyra come a little closer so she can see I'm not that bad."

The next moment Mich chuckled as a chestnut head appeared in her vision. Rubbing Dream's nose she relaxed a little more, "It's ok boy, I'm alright, you did good today." Pushing him away gently, she saw Kyra's ashen face and smiled softly, "I'll be ok sweetie, I'll go and get checked out, you look after Dream now and give him plenty of fuss, he was fantastic."

Kyra nodded trying to smile, "Ok, the others will help me, what about later?"

"Horatio will call you to let you know what's going on, and we'll arrange something." Kyra nodded and went back to the stable; Mich noting that David went with her after a nod from H, Katrina would help James if David wasn't back in time.

&

Lying in the hospital bed, Mich tried to compose herself, the doc had confirmed her worst fears. Her back was finally showing the strain of all the falls she had had over the past years. He had checked her out thoroughly and though she had no serious damage, had told her to be careful and given her a course of anti-inflamatories and pain killers for a couple of days.

Mich had immediately checked that none of them were on the banned substances list… Last thing she wanted was to be tested positive, that wouldn't help the team at all. Glancing through the window of her small room, she saw H nod his head as he spoke to the doctor, relief crossing his face when he heard that today it wasn't a serious injury.

Mich sighed to herself and leant back on the pillows, the doc had heard that she had a back brace and had agreed that Mich would not need to stay in the hospital, as long as she put the brace on. She took a deep breath, Roger was on his way and it was time for her to take a decision.

&

Roger couldn't decide whether to be happy or concerned. William and James had both jumped clear inside the time, using Mich's short route through the Anchor. Julia had also jumped the shorter route successfully, but had unfortunately had a refusal elsewhere on the course, the extra penalties dropping her down the order.

With Mich in the team, they were currently holding their second place, mainly because other teams had also had problems. William was now in the top three and Mich had pulled up to sixth, James to tenth. The New Zealanders were leading by only ten penalties and could be caught.

His team had performed superbly, but if Mich was forced to pull out, they would drop a placing and if all went well, they would come home with a team bronze. It was better than nothing, Roger was disappointed for them, they had all worked so hard.

Walking into the hospital, he spotted H straight away and walked over to join him. "So, what's the damage?"

H gave a half smile, "Nothing serious, just a pulled muscle, but on top of all the old falls…" He didn't need to continue, the look on Roger's face was enough, a mixture of relief, but also concern. "How did the team do?"

Roger explained the situation to H quickly, "So you see H, I have a dilemma on my hands. I don't want to force Mich to ride if she's in a lot of pain, but if she pulls out and one of the others has a bad day…"

"You drop out of the medals…"

"Horatio, I have to tell you – Mich was selected because I pushed for it, it's my responsibility if the team doesn't do well, but people will still blame her if the team comes away with nothing."

H pulled a face, Mich would not like that to happen, not one little bit.

&

Watching the two men through the glass Mich sighed. She had checked the placings on the TV text and done a few calculations. Roger was in a difficult situation, with her on the team, a medal was a definite possibility – possibly a gold, but if she pulled out, the pressure would be on the other riders.

The Germans were lying in fourth place, but would only be fifteen penalties behind if she pulled out. Fifteen penalties was the equivalent of three fences in the jumping ring – and with each rider having to clear the course of sixteen fences…

Looking at H's face, Mich became more thoughtful, he knew how much it meant to her to ride for her country, the work and sacrifices she had made along the way. He had seen her hurt, on occasions quite badly, but had never stopped her from riding, yet in her mind, she saw the pain on his face. Taking a deep breath, she made her decision, one that she would have to live with for the rest of her life.

Roger and Horatio walked quietly into the room, both trying to appear relaxed, neither succeeding. Mich watched them carefully, waiting to see what they would say, ready to tell them what she had thought about, ready to tell them what she had decided. Hoping that they would both understand.

Sitting down on the chair next to the bed while H went to the window, Roger sighed, "So, I hear it's not serious this time."

Mich nodded, "The doc said it could have been worse, at least I didn't fall, that could have caused some problems.' Out of the corner of her eye she saw H wince at her words and knew she had to be careful. "I saw the results. What happened to Julia?"

"The combination after the first water, Acapulco jumped in a bit too big and ran out of space to manoeuvre."

Mich chuckled, "And we were worried that he was going to be too careful…"

Roger smiled before continuing, his voice becoming serious, "Mich, we need to talk about tomorrow. Can you ride?"

Glancing at Horatio, Mich paused before answering, "I would like to…" H turned slightly, he had expected Mich to demand to be included, so her hesitation surprised him, "What did the doc say?"

H walked towards her and sat on the other chair opposite Roger, "The doc said it was your choice. He won't stop you, Mich are you sure about this?"

Roger looked at Horatio, also surprised by Mich's quiet demeanour, he too had expected her to insist on inclusion. "Mich, if you don't think you're up to it… We can still come home with something."

Mich chuckled bitterly, "You're relying on Acapulco going clear Roger and after today, we both know that his jumping is still suspect."

Roger frowned, "Mich, you've helped Julia so much these last couple of weeks, it is a possibility that he could jump well. We can take the bronze."

"And if he doesn't we can lose it all… You need me Roger, even with my back I'm still a better option than Acapulco and you know it – I'm not trying to put Julia down, but facts are facts."

Roger dropped his head and acknowledged that Mich was right, "and with you on the team we have a chance of the gold…"

Mich shook her head, "No… Now you're relying on all of us to go clear and the New Zealanders to have problems. You know it doesn't work that way Roger, we have to go with what we have in our hands. If I jump, we have a medal – possibly Silver, if I don't, we could lose it all."

H sat quietly, listening to the exchange. The fact that Mich wanted to ride did not surprise him, yet she was looking at the situation with reason, not with her feelings as she would have in he past. There was something going on. It was almost as if Mich wanted Roger to take the decision, catching her eye H gave Mich a questioning look, confused to see the pain there. He suddenly realized that Mich was hesitating because she didn't want him to worry.

He was about to say something when Roger spoke, "There'll be other Games Mich, the World Championships in two years time and the 2016 Olympics…"

H was startled to see Mich shake her head, "Not for me Roger, this is it. I'm asking you to let me ride, because this will be my last competition. After this, I'm calling it a day."


	41. Chapter 41

Horatio looked at Mich, he had been startled by her decision, she hadn't mentioned anything about giving up competition riding. Seeing the tears in her eyes, he knew that it had been a tough call for her to make, but he couldn't figure out why she had done it.

"Are you sure about this Mich?" Roger's question broke into his thoughts and H saw Mich nod her head decisively.

"I've never been more certain about anything… Well, there is one thing… but that doesn't affect my decision here." H gave a soft smile, Mich had sent a look in his direction so he knew which other decision she was talking about.

Roger thought for a moment, "Ok, I'll do you a deal, I'll declare all of the British team to ride, but if Julia and James both go clear, you withdraw. William can handle a three fence difference…"

"Roger…"

"No buts Mich, you can't risk your back. If you look after it now, you can still compete at lower levels."

Mich shook her head, "No Roger, I've made my choice. After the games, I'm retiring from competition, I have my reasons."

Roger nodded, "What will you do?"

Mich chuckled, "Someone once told me that I was a good rider, but a great coach… I guess it's time to find out… Who knows, one day, I might get your job…"

Roger laughed, "and you'd be welcome to it. If only you know what I've had to put up with…"

The three of them began laughing and Roger left in a better mood than when he arrived. H began to help Mich with her brace, a soft smile on his face now that the decisions were over. Mich had agreed to Roger's terms, but H hoped she would not regret the decision she had taken.

Mich was quiet, it would take her a while to come to terms with her choice, but she was glad she had made it – there were plenty of options open to her besides being a competition rider. She could still ride for fun and coach, but she decided in that moment that she would no longer agree to breaking in the young horses – her back couldn't take that either.

H finished what he was doing and held her for a moment, not sure what to say.

Mich knew him well, "What's wrong Honey?"

H sighed, "Are you really sure about this? After a break…"

"I'm sure… There are other things I can do. Horatio, a couple of weeks ago, you said you wanted to slow down a little, spend more time together as a family. I want that too."

"But to give up everything…"

Mich laughed, "But I'm not giving up everything, just… Changing my line of work slightly, just like you."

H grinned, "Well then I'd best get used to it." He paused, his eyes becoming soft as a thought crossed his mind, "You said that you'd been thinking about making some changes at the barn, is this it?"

Mich nodded, "I've been thinking about it since I was short listed for the team, it's not like I'm the only one who can represent the barn, I have a few good riders now, not only myself and Kate. Kyra can choose for herself when she's finished college."

H chuckled, "Am I hearing things, you, taking a back seat, letting others make their own choices?"

Mich flushed and gave him a cheeky look, "I have my reasons…"

H studied her intently, "What brought this on? Did I have something to do with it?" When Mich nodded, he saw something in her eyes that made him a little wary, he knew Mich far too well. "What is it…? Why Mich…?"

Mich looked at him shyly, "I want to have more time on my hands, more time to be with you. These last couple of weeks… I don't want to go back to Miami and lose that, I want us to be together more… and…" Mich bit her lip and hesitated.

H looked curiously at her, this was not what he was expecting, softly he pushed her to finish, "and what…?"

Mich took a deep breath, "I would like us to…" She paused and gave him a tender look, "Every man should have a son Horatio…"

Horatio was startled, "You're…"

Mich laughed and shook her head, "No… not yet… but I would like to be." Looking into H's face, she saw a myriad of emotions, happy to see none of them were negative. Softly she continued, "If it's ok with you of course."

H smiled shyly, pulling her close, "And when were you going to tell me about this?"

Mich gave him a rueful smile, "I was going to ASK you when we got back to Miami, but things have been so crazy over the last couple of weeks…"

"So why didn't you wait?"

Mich dropped her head, "I had a good chat with the doc earlier. Asked him how my back would take it… He told me if I was serious about having another baby… I would have to choose, one or the other, I can't have both. It had to be the horses, or the family."

H sighed, "But what would happen if… You've had your problems Mich, we found out that Amber was pure luck, we tried a couple of times…"

Mich put her finger on H's lips, "Maybe we tried too hard, maybe it wasn't meant to be. The last couple of years we've both been pushing it and stress is not good for the body. I know I need help Horatio, but I would like to try again.

For a moment the two of them were quiet, saying nothing, both lost within their own thoughts. It was H who broke the silence, "and if it doesn't work out? Do you go back to competing?"

Mich shook her head, "No, I've made my decision on that score and it stays. If it doesn't work out, I still have a future husband and two girls that I want to spend more time with. My competition days are over Horatio, I might help to organize and judge, but no more competing for me. Enough is enough."

Catching Mich's chin with his fingers, H gently lifted it upwards to give her a soft kiss, "I have a friend who owes me a favour… How about we give him a call when we get home?"

The tears of happiness in Mich's eyes was all the answer H needed.

&

H shook his head, staring at the craziness around him. The press had found out that Mich had hurt her back and were trying to find out if she would be riding or not. As the riders were preparing the horses for that mornings veterinary check, rumours were flying back and for. He had been stopped on the way in, the reporters recognizing him, but they had backed off when he had looked them all in the eye and said the decision would be made by Mich and her coach together.

One by one, the team trotted their horses up in front of the vets. Julia's horse was a little stiff on the first run, but when asked to trot up again was fine. James' and William's horses were also fine and when Mich appeared with Dream the small crowd went crazy. Dream was also declared fit to continue.

Returning to the stables, the team were happy, but quiet. It had been a while since a British team had won Olympic gold and the pressure was on. An announcement made them all pause and look at each other, the top American rider, lying in second place individually had been forced to withdraw from the event after his horse did not pass the vet check, it meant that the American team would lose their third place.

"That leaves us clear in second place, by quite a good margin." James voiced the team's thoughts. "The Irish are much further behind the Germans; we should come out with a medal."

Mich looked at Roger, but he said nothing, just warning them not to become complacent. "Things can still go wrong. Now, have a short break and come back in half an hour. I want you all ready by 2.00pm"

&

Mich stood next to William in the warm up arena. The top 20 riders were going in reverse order; the two of them had been helping Julia who was preparing to go in next. Kyra and Kathy, William's groom were riding round slowly, keeping the horses calm, while James was beginning his final warm up.

A few minutes later and Julia was back, Mich had chosen not to watch, but the cheer from the home supporters told her the news – Julia had gone well. Turning to greet her team mate, Mich was not surprised by the tears in Julia's eyes as she gave her a hug. "Only one down Mich, and its all thanks to you. Acapulco's back to his old self again."

A few riders came and went, the Germans holding their place while the Irish slipped further back. The Americans, with only three riders were also doing well and the first rider from New Zealand had also jumped clear.

Mich tried to ignore what was going on. As the placings stood, the British team were guaranteed a medal of some kind. As she helped James in the last part of his warm up, she did not notice H speaking to Roger.

&

Mich went to watch James' round partly to see how the course was jumping, partly because Julia dragged her over. Kyra was warming up Dream for her, she didn't want to get on until she absolutely had to and if James went clear, she wouldn't need to.

The next few minutes were bittersweet, James went clear, consolidating the silver medal position for the British team, while the German rider had two fences down. Congratulating James on his round, Mich turned to tell Kyra to put Dream away when Roger stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

Mich was confused, "Roger we agreed, if Julia and James went well, I was going to withdraw."

Roger chuckled, "That was before the New Zealand rider dropped a pole. They are only one fence in front of us with one rider to jump – I need you to keep the pressure on."

Mich stared at him, "but… We said that any medal…" Mich paused, spotting Horatio watching their conversation, a soft smile on his face. She turned and told Kyra to put Dream over some poles and wake him up, before getting on herself.

As William gave her a leg up, he winked at her, "Just like old times…" Mich nodded and put Dream over a low fence, happy that her back did not protest too much. Suddenly she had an idea and called Kyra to bring her body protector – she would have just enough time to put it on.

"What are you doing Mich?" James' voice came to her

"Isn't it obvious? The protector will support my back, now lend me your jacket, mine won't fit over the top and I can't ride in shirtsleeves." James quickly did as she asked, grinning to himself.

Walking to the entrance to the main arena, Mich smiled as H came to stand next to her, "You spoke to Roger."

H laughed, "Guilty as charged."

"Why?"

H sighed, "Because if the team doesn't win and you don't ride, you'll be asking yourself for the rest of your life if you could have made a difference. I will have to live with that and I know how much regrets can eat away at you from inside. I don't want you to go through the hell I put myself through over the last year."

"But you came through it…"

"Thanks to you…" Catching her hand he kissed the back and gave Mich an encouraging smile, "Go ahead sweetheart, I know what you're made of, now show the rest of them."

Blinking back a couple of tears, Mich rode quietly into the arena. Horatio watched for a moment and turned away, the concern on his face showing through. He had to let Mich do this, let her have this final moment, sitting down on a nearby bench, he tried to block out the sounds around him and dropped his head into his hands, praying that Mich would be ok.

As the crowd became quiet, Mich heard the bell telling her to start her round and nudged Dream into a canter.

The arena was silent, all that could be heard were Dreams hoofbeats on the grass and, if someone was close enough, Mich's voice talking softly.

&

Horatio was breathing slowly, trying not to listen to anything, when he felt someone join him on the bench. Looking up he was surprised to see Kyra next to him.

"Why aren't you watching your mum?"

"Same reason you aren't… Too damn scared…"

H chuckled and pulled her close. "We make a right pair, your mum will be so upset if she finds out."

"Then we better not tell her…"

&

Mich winced as Dream landed after the fifth fence, feeling her back slightly. It was a gate which the horse tended to jump a little higher than normal, but she had anticipated it and was able to support herself over the obstacle.

Turning the corner, she saw the next three fences, all in a straight line, the distance between each one exactly measured. A rider could choose between four long strides or five short ones, the line had caught out several people and she hesitated, not sure what to do.

A quote popped into her mind, 'Fortune favours the Brave', it was a favourite of her grandfathers, so taking a deep breath she went for the long strides. "I hope you're right grand-dad, because I'm going to get into problems otherwise…"

&

Roger swallowed deeply when he spotted Mich's intention. Holding his breath as Mich cleared the first in the line easily, he closed his eyes as she approached the second.

James nudged him, "You're no help to us if you black out… Breathe for god's sake"

Roger chuckled, happy to see Mich safely over the next fence, if she could just hold it together….

&

The crowd roared, Mich had got through the line. Taking a deep breath, she grinned to herself, she was just over halfway around. Glancing up, she saw the big arena clock ticking away her time, frowning she nudged Dream into a slightly faster pace, she didn't want time penalties.

The next two fences were relatively easy, then the water, which Dream sailed over. Asking him to steady slightly, he popped neatly over the wall before she turned for home. Mich gritted her teeth, the last four fences were tricky.

First the treble combination, three fences with just one stride between the first two obstacles, then two strides to the third. The last fence was a big spread which needed confident riding. Mich took a deep breath, "Come on boy, time for you to prove to everyone what I've always known."

&

"Clear one…" Roger had turned his back to the arena, the atmosphere getting to him so much he could no longer watch. "Clear two…" Julia was telling him how Mich was doing, "Clear three…"

He turned, the spectators could no longer stay quiet, if Mich went clear, it would put the British team firmly into second place – no-one could beat them. Not only that, if the remaining rider for New Zealand dropped two fences and William went clear, Britain would win gold…

&

Mich tried to shut out the noise, this was the last thing she needed – Dream would be distracted. Pushing him forwards, she suddenly realised she was on the wrong stride, Dream would take off a little too far away from the fence. Using her voice, she called her encouragement as he lifted…

&

Roger swore, the stride was wrong he could see it, in the next moment, he watched with stunned amazement as Dream lifted above the fence – and cleared with feet to spare.

&

The cheers from the crowd told William what he needed to know, with Mich going clear there was less pressure on him, but the last New Zealand rider looked worried. William chuckled and casually popped his horse over a fence, returning to a relaxing walk. Watching the rider out of the corner of his eye, he smiled, it was no longer only about horse and rider - but who had the strength of mind to win.

&

Mich was hugging Dream's neck, tears streaming down her face, her back was sore, but not painful. Going into the warm-up arena, she was passed by the fourth place rider and wished them luck. As she stopped, she was surrounded by people, not only from her own team, but well-wishers from other teams.

Looking around, she spotted H and Kyra fighting their way through, eventually reaching her side. As stewards cleared the area, Horatio helped her to get off, easing her gently to the floor. "Well done sweetheart, you were terrific…"

Mich gave him a careful look and chuckled quietly, "You didn't watch did you?"

H flushed, "I'm sorry Mich…"

Mich laughed and placed her hand on his chest before giving him a hug, "It's ok, I don't think I would have liked to watch myself either." She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, oblivious to the cheers and whistles from nearby spectators "Thank you…"

H said nothing, there was no need, a look of understanding passed between them and as Kyra led Dream away, they turned and walked to the competitors viewing area together, stopping when a voice called from the side.

"Mummy… MUMMY…" Mich laughed and nodded to the steward who allowed Amber and Derek through the gate into the restricted area. They had been watching from the stands nearby and had fought their way through to reach Mich.

Derek gave his daughter a soft smile and hug, "Your Gran sent a message, she's watching at home…" Passing her the mobile, he held her tight as she read the SMS, 'Grand-dad would have been proud, as am I. Well done. The champagne is on ice, bring the team home for dinner. Gran.'

Mich chuckled and continued walking, "Come on, I want to watch William."

Reaching Roger, she was stunned when he told her to look at the scoreboard, starting the day in fifth place due to the American rider's withdrawal, she realized that she was now fourth. "What happened?"

"The Australian had three fences down. As long as William doesn't knock down half the course or fall, we're confirmed for the silver."

As they spoke, a groan came from the spectators; the rider in third place from Germany had hit the fourth fence and knocked it down. Mich held her breath, "If he hits another, the Germans will lose their place to the Americans…"

Roger laughed, "If he hits two, you'll be taking home an individual bronze…"

&

Horatio was talking to Derek quietly, his future father-in-law had just relayed a message that Stuart had tried to get in to watch the competition that day, but had been stopped by security. "We gave them his picture and told them that a restraining order had been placed on him."

"Did he cause any trouble?'

Derek shook his head, "No, I wish he had, we could have put him away for a little while. Unfortunately, he may now realize that he's being watched."

H swore, "It'll make him more careful, and more dangerous."

&

The crowd groaned for a third time. The German rider had made a mistake at the last fence and the pole had dropped. The loudspeaker announced that Mich had now moved up into third place and the British team were now in a strong position to challenge for the gold, with two riders left to jump.

As William walked in, the crowd began cheering encouragement to the last British rider. Mich pulled a face, noise was not a problem for the rider, but it could be distracting to the horse and that was a problem for the rider. William relaxed a little calming himself, which also helped to calm his horse. The announcer also requested for silence and slowly, the crowd responded.

At the bell, William nudged his horse forwards, and started the course. As he went through the line of three, the crowd applauded and cheered as the horse jumped clear. Mich took a deep breath as the partnership cleared the water and the wall.

Going into the treble, Roger chuckled quietly as his riders counted the strides between the obstacles, 'One, lift; one, two, lift'. Only the last fence stood in Williams way, James gritted his teeth. "Kick on William, it's a tough one."

William must have heard James' words as he pushed his horse strongly into the last fence and cleared it easily. The crowd going wild, Mich found herself being swung around by someone – she couldn't tell who. As a group, they all ran to the warm-up arena to welcome William back.

Blocked near the entrance, Mich found herself next to the New Zealand rider on his horse and offered her hand, "Good luck Andrew,"

The rider smiled, "I'm going to need it, you guys have been on terrific form." Releasing Mich's hand, he went into the arena and she turned to join her team.

None of them could watch, but they didn't need to, a couple of minutes after the bell told them that Andrew had had a fence down. Julia gasped "We're tied for gold…"

An Irish rider was giving a commentary, "Turning for the water… clear, the wall… clear." The British riders wanted to tell him to stay quiet, but no-one had the heart.

A roar from the New Zealand supporters told them that their rider had gone clear over the rest of the course, William sighed, "Well, we've tied for gold, no-one can say we didn't do our best."

Roger was about to say something when the announcer began talking. "Andrew Michaels, with Southern Song, 5 jumping penalties, 1 time penalty…" The rest of the announcement was lost in the ovation from the crowd, Britain had taken the team gold – by just one penalty point.

&

Mich could barely remember the medal ceremony, first she joined William as they were presented with their individual silver and bronze medals as Andrew received his gold. Then she joined the rest of the team on the podium to receive her team gold.

As the National Anthem began to play, Mich felt the tears rolling down her cheeks and wiped them away carefully, hoping that not too many people would notice. Roger had agreed to a press conference in an hour and she had to regain her composure.

She wished she could get out of it. More and more she wanted to go home… To Miami…

&

Watching Mich on the podium, H smiled, they had two weeks left in the UK. Kyra was competing the following week and then they had a free week. With Rhys staying in Miami, Frank had been confirmed as the new team leader, and Derek had told Horatio to take the last week off.

He too was happy that they would soon be going home…


	42. Chapter 42

Horatio roared with laughter. The team had just finished the press conference and Roger was soaking wet. The press had wanted pictures of the team with their horses and James had suggested that the water jump would make a nice setting. Everyone had agreed, but afterwards, Roger had realized that something was up when he was grabbed by James, William, David and Julia's boyfriend Philip.

The four men had dropped him into the water, which wasn't that deep, but from the neck down, Roger was dripping. He stripped off his shirt and began looking around to see who had been the culprit who had thought of the idea… His eyes settled on Mich, who was holding James' horse while David joined in the fun.

"Mich Bailey…"

"Don't look at me Roger… I wouldn't DARE suggest such a thing…" A scream of laughter rent the air and she turned, laughing herself, as she saw that the boys had now grabbed Julia and were about to drop her in the water too…

The horseplay continued, as first William and then James also ended up in the water… The girl grooms laughing and hanging onto the horses as best they could… William turned around grinning wickedly… "Only one left…"

"Oh no you don't…" Mich gave James' horse to Roger and ran to hide behind H, laughing, "Don't you dare William… Not with my back… Horatio, please…"

H chuckled and stood, hands on hips, blocking William's attempts to catch hold of her, "Sorry William, can't let you hurt my lady…"

In the next moment, Kyra was the one screaming as James had grabbed her, "Then how about we use your groom as a substitute…" He spoke too soon as Kyra broke free and ran.

H laughed, "No problem, IF you can catch her…" David needed no persuasion…

&

Dinner at the hall was a happy occasion, the team had been delighted at the invitation and they and their families were enjoying themselves tremendously. H smiled softly watching Mich with her friends talking out on the terrace afterwards, it was a beautiful evening.

A soft footstep made him smile, "Good evening Countess…"

A chuckle answered his words, "People in this family have far too good a sense of hearing and intuition. Penny for your thoughts Horatio?"

H smiled, "Its just great to see Mich so happy, I just hope she won't regret her decision."

"To give up competing? Don't worry Horatio, that is one regret she will never have, she may be volatile and emotional at times, but when she has thought something through properly, she never has regrets. Especially this time."

"What do you mean?"

The Countess chuckled, "Look what she has won instead…" Horatio blushed, still not completely used to the compliments she gave in his direction. "So, the two of you will be getting married in Miami?"

H nodded, he and Mich had discussed it quietly the week before, "I thought that Mich might want to come here, but she surprised me a little with that one. I would have thought that she wanted her family around her."

"Horatio, your team and her friends in Miami are her family. If she were to get married here, the press would be all over it. It's not what she wants, she really doesn't like to be the centre of attention. Respected and admired for what she does, yes… But she is not a glory hunter… Never has been."

H nodded, "But you will come over, won't you? It wouldn't be the same…"

The Countess laughed, "Of course I'll be there Horatio, you just try and keep me away… Besides, Mich would never forgive me…"

H wrapped his arms around Mich's waist, feeling her lean back into his chest, Kyra was just starting the cross country course at Blenheim, and Mich was nervous, so nervous in fact that she could barely keep still. Slowly she began to relax.

Kyra had started her course with Roger, and though he was pushing her hard had not complained at all. She was working with Knight the first week, but then would ride one of the many horses at Roger's centre. Horatio had finished his time at the yard and the two of them had enjoyed a meal out with Frank and Sam the Friday before.

Mich had put Dream out into a paddock at the hall to rest and relax before he and Knight would be returning back to the States after the competition at Blenheim. Horatio and Mich would enjoy a week of relaxing with the girls, including a return trip to the waterfalls before they returned to Miami – leaving Kyra behind to finish her course.

At this weekend's competition Kyra was doing well, placed in the top fifteen after the dressage, Mich had heard all sorts of comments, all favourable, though she didn't like the way people compared Kyra to her. "She's a good rider in her own right Horatio, she doesn't need the comparison."

H had sighed, "Mich, you've just won Olympic team gold and individual bronze… Of course people are going to compare her to you. Don't worry, she can handle it… In a couple of years, she'll have established herself, so you won't need to worry."

Mich sighed, Horatio was right, but this was Kyra's first big international competition and the press were leaning on her to do well – especially as she was riding her mother's horse… Glancing around, she was startled when she saw a familiar face in the crowd…

"What's he doing here?"

The venom in Mich's voice warned H who she was talking about; soon he had also spotted Stuart, who was just looking around casually. Annoyed that once again he hadn't been warned about Stuart's location, he kept his voice calm.

"Let it go Mich, he can't touch you any more and unless he causes trouble, we can't do anything about it. If he does I'll make a call." He was just thinking about whether to phone Derek, when two security guards appeared beside Stuart and after a brief exchange of words, escorted him away.

&

While Mich was chatting to an ecstatic Kyra, who had gone clear, Horatio contacted Derek. "What the hell is going on, Mich spotted him today."

Derek was furious with the news and apologized. "I'm going to have words with someone about this, sorry Horatio. Whoever has been given the job of watching Stuart is obviously not very good at it. Leave it with me."

Closing his cell, H turned when he heard someone calling his name and smiled when he saw Frank. "How's it going?'

Frank grinned, "Ok… I had the day off, so I thought I'd come and watch. Didn't Kyra do well?" Seeing H nod, he realized something was up and asked, swearing when he heard H's reply. "I had a feeling we were going to have problems with him."

H agreed, "Our biggest problem is that he's not breaking the law. '5' is watching him, but they can't stop him from moving around. Today he came to watch and when security turned up he just left quietly without making a fuss…"

Frank nodded, "We can't touch him, but he does just enough damage to send us crazy. He's dangerous H… I don't like it. Derek has done everything he can, but his hands are tied, if I do anything, I'm stepping outside my job…"

H frowned, "Is there anything we can do?"

Frank thought for a moment. "I have a couple of contacts who are not part of the force; one is ex-marines, runs a training school for bodyguards. I'll have a word with him, maybe he can come up with something and I'll make sure that Kyra is safe while she's here Horatio, I promise you that."

H smiled, "Mich and I wouldn't let her stay if we thought she was in danger Frank, we know you'll keep an eye on her while she's training with Roger."

Frank chuckled, "My biggest worry is not going to be Stuart… It's going to be the teenage boys where I live…"

H laughed, "I wouldn't worry about that… Not if David comes to pay a visit."

"As long as he doesn't try anything…"

Mich sighed and snuggled in closer to Horatio, smiling, he lifted his arm and allowed her to come closer, his hand draped casually over her shoulder. Amber had already fallen asleep on the seat next to them after watching the take-off out of the window.

"Missing Kyra aren't you?"

Mich nodded, "I know she'll be ok… It's just…"

"The two of you have never been apart for more than a day. She'll be home before you know it sweetheart, don't you worry."

Mich smiled, Kyra had settled in to the course really well from what Roger had told her and was already making friends, though the boys had backed off a little when David had turned up to say hi – and to tell her that he was off to Europe.

James had decided to go to some competitions with his less experienced horses and David was going with him as head groom. Kyra had been upset, though had taken it well, especially when David had asked if she would be in the UK the following summer and given her his e-mail.

"We'll soon be home…" H was glad that Mich had felt happy enough for Dream and Knight to travel back with a flight groom, so they could make the journey home together. He had already spoken the Chief on the phone and wouldn't need to go into the lab for another two days.

The previous week Mich had really dialed back on her work, she and H spending all their time with the girls. The planned trip to the West End had gone down well with both Kyra and Amber – as had their visit to the waterfalls and a day out at Alton Towers in Staffordshire. H had seen a quieter side of Mich and she had admitted to him that this was how she would like the future to be.

They had purposefully taken a later flight, hoping to rest on the plane before arriving at the beginning of a Miami evening. Nicky was meeting them at the airport and would take them straight back to the barn. Dropping his chair back a little further, H glanced at Mich and smiled, she had already dozed off, closing his eyes he did the same.

&

Arriving back at the barn, Mich groaned as she saw the banners hanging across the doors and then began to chuckle when she saw Kate and her sister Jackie outside waving. Jackie had just returned from working in Africa and was dancing around like an idiot.

Stepping out of the car, her two friends immediately smothered her while H helped Amber. Mich resisted the urge to check the barn, yes it was her business, but to do so would undermine the authority that Kate and Nicky had taken on while she was away.

Mike appeared to help with the suitcases, so they all made their way into the house where Mich was stunned by the number of people waiting on the terrace… As well as her clients and students, the team were there too. Natalia with a shy smile as Ryan stood alongside, his arm around her waist, Eric chuckling, beginning to pour the champagne, Alexx and her husband, Frank and Calleigh…

Mich paused, Calleigh looked a little wary, almost afraid to see her, standing in front of Rhys who had a hand on her shoulder, whispering quietly in her ear. As she looked at Mich and H, Calleigh's eyes suddenly grew wider… "Oh my god…"

Rhys looked at his cousin curiously, then he too noticed what Calleigh had seen and started to chuckle… "Well Mich, looks like you didn't only get Gold and Bronze while you were back home…"

Mich started to laugh, "Yeah, I picked up a little platinum too…"

Quietly Horatio announced to everyone that he and Mich would be getting married within the year and the two of them were surrounded by well wishers. It was difficult to tell which was the bigger reason for celebration, the medals, or the engagement… Mich knew which she preferred.

&

As H escorted almost the last of their guests to the door, Mich glanced around and smiled. Eric and Kate had left a while ago, needing to get back home for Enrique, Ryan and Natalia leaving soon after. Spotting Rhys out on the terrace she went to join him. She had spoken earlier to Calleigh, delighted by the news that Rhys had moved into her condo.

"At this rate, the whole family will end up in Miami…"

Rhys chuckled, "Well it seems we've both found a good reason to stay…"

Mich nodded, "About time don't you think…" Giving her cousin a hug, Mich couldn't help a few tears sliding down her face. She missed her family a great deal, Rhys especially, the two of them were so alike. Now he was staying, she wouldn't worry about him anymore. "So, you won't miss the old life?"

Rhys shook his head, "Not me… I'll leave that to the younger guys… I've already started working with Frank – it's great getting back to police work again."

Mich nodded, "It's great just to have a normal life…"

Walking back into the lab, Horatio paused and took a good look around. He had just spent half an hour talking to the Chief who had frowned when H had told him his decision. "Ok Horatio, I would have preferred to see you stick around on this side of the fence, but you always did hate playing politics."

H had smiled, "You're better than me at that, I would end up doing or saying something I regret…"

The Chief chuckled, "Maybe… Ok so you'll work with the lab until your time is up – or until something comes along, whichever is the sooner… Calleigh will continue as the Lieutenant in charge of the day shift, with your assistance where required."

Continuing his progress, he was passed by several people, all of whom welcomed him back and passed on their congratulations. He smiled softly, word had spread fast about his and Mich's engagement, but he was getting used to it now, though Eric and Ryan would probably tease him a little more about it.

Walking into Calleigh's office, he smiled when he saw the petite blonde slowly putting her things into a box to take back to her locker… "What are you doing…?"

Calleigh gave him a calculating look, "Making space… I tend to take over, you'll need your desk back now…"

H shook his head, "It's not my desk anymore Cal… It's yours now, I've spoken to the Chief… I'll be working with the team until my time is up."

Calleigh stared at him, a tear appearing in her eyes, "but Horatio…"

Smiling, he walked over and gave her a hug, "Congratulations Calleigh, you deserve it, just do me a favour will you… Look after these…"

As he gave her the two files, Calleigh gave H a curious look, "Sure thing H, but what are they?"

"Have a look, I'm sure you'll work it out…" Turning around, he left the office and walked out into the corridor. Slowly Calleigh looked through the first couple of pages of each file and realized what she was looking at, wiping away the tears that had started to roll down her face she whispered quietly. "I will Horatio, I promise…"

&

Mich walked slowly up the hill and joined H on the log where he was looking out across the ocean. As she came close, he reached out an arm, silently asking her to come closer. Mich hugged him, knowing that today had been hard, probably as hard as the decision she had made in the UK if not harder.

"How did they take it?"

H sighed, "Tears from Calleigh and Natalia, denial from Eric and Ryan… Pretty much what I expected, the Chief was a little annoyed, but he accepted my decision. Alexx had a couple of tears too, but she understood my reasons, said that I was doing the right thing."

Mich chuckled softly, "Alexx would, I bet Stetler was happy though… He's rid of you at last…"

H laughed, "Rick is no longer around…" He quickly told Mich what had happened, "So, it seems that the lab have something else to thank your cousin for… How did Kate and the others take your news?"

"A little surprised, but they were ok about it. I think that they probably saw the press conference and were prepared for a few changes. It'll take a little while to adjust, but I think they'll be ok."

H pulled Mich close, uncertainty showing in his eyes, "Will we be ok Mich… Will we be able to manage not being able to do what we did?"

Tenderly Mich placed her hand on Horatio's cheek, "Slowing down will take a little getting used to, but if we work through this together, I think we'll be ok…"

&

A few weeks later…

Putting down his paper, the man known in the early days of his career as the 'Night Watchman' smiled. He had just heard the announcer making the final call for passengers boarding the flight for California. Once into Los Angeles he would disappear, then start making his way to his target. He had been watching Mich from the Olympics onward, but hadn't been able to get close to her – mainly because she was always with that damn red-headed American police Lieutenant who had stolen her from him.

Sitting down in his seat, he took out his diary, looking through, he found the date he was looking for and wrote 'Miami' in capital letters across it. This would be the last time the Wolf would make him look like a fool and if the lieutenant got in the way, that would just be his bad luck wouldn't it…


	43. Chapter 43

Derek slammed the phone down, furious at the news he had just received. "Of all the incompetent…" he thought for a moment and checked the time before picking up the phone again, dialing a number from memory…

&

Horatio was carefully checking the ends of the wire in front of him, the tool marks looked very similar, he would know for sure when he put them under the microscope. Putting down the two pieces of wire he smiled to himself and stretched back in the chair to get the kinks out of his back.

One good thing about joining the team and letting Calleigh take over as Lt was the fact he was able to get back in the lab again, he hadn't realized how much he had missed it. One thing he didn't miss was the paperwork that was now Calleigh's domain, though he was pleased to see that Rhys wasn't allowing her too become too pre-occupied with it, dragging her out of the lab by 8.30pm if she stayed late.

Glancing out of the window, he smiled to see Rhys and Frank walking into the PD, arguing again over some point or other – though their partnership was a good one. Frank knew the system and how to work it, Rhys used his instincts, together they had become quite a formidable team and had cracked a couple of tough cases.

He was just about to continue with his work when the phone rang. Standing up, he walked over and picked it up, surprised at the voice on the other end. "Derek, what can I do for you?"

After a few moments he too slammed down the phone in a rage and went hunting for Rhys…

&

"Are you kidding me!" Rhys' anger could be clearly seen on his face, even Frank was concerned at the news that H had just received. He liked Mich a lot, her strength of character meant that she was one of the few that could get H to back down when he was pushing himself to much, Alexx was the only other woman that could do that to him.

"What do you want us to do Horatio?"

H shrugged his shoulders, "Not a lot we can do Frank, except keep our eyes and ears open. I'll get a few photographs together and let you have them, give copies to the patrol officers in case they see something…"

Rhys was quiet, then he stood up decisively, "I need to make a phone call, will you come with me H?" Horatio nodded, curious as to what Rhys was going to do.

A few minutes later, they were talking to Paul Clarkson who indicated the secure phone on his desk, "Go ahead Rhys, but do you think he can help?"

Rhys nodded, "If anyone can find Stuart Cook, then Phil can… He's the best hunter in the business and he knows what Stuart looks like, knows how he operates…" Turning his back to Paul and Horatio as he was put through to Phil Moore's office at CIA, he tried to hide the anger in his voice.

Paul took H to one side, "You have to tell Mich Horatio, she's not going to like being kept out of this…"

H nodded, "Just as soon as I get home Paul, I know she's not going to take this well…"

Paul sighed and changed the subject, "How's the lab work going?"

H smiled, "Good, I didn't realize how much I missed it, I'd let the team do their work for so long, I'd forgotten how much of a challenge it is… It's certainly keeping my mind active."

Paul grinned, "Good to hear it, listen, I need to ask you something, remember that case you had a look at for me before you went to the UK?" H nodded and started to smile when Paul began to make his suggestion.

Rhys completed his phone call and turned, concern still on his face, "Phil's on the next plane out of Washington, he called in his boss who gave him the all clear. If Phil doesn't catch him…"

Horatio's face became grim, "We'll need to be ready."

Predictably Mich exploded, "He's in the States… Jeez Horatio, what the hell is going on?"

Horatio sighed and filled her in on the information he had. Stuart had led his tail a merry dance over the last two months after they had returned to Miami but kept his nose clean. Then a couple of days before he had walked into Terminal Four at Heathrow airport with nothing more than a holdall, checked in on a BA flight to LA and disappeared into the departures lounge.

His tail had instantly contacted his controller and alerted them to the sudden move that Stuart had made. An agent in LA had been sent to watch Stuart on his arrival and was watching him closely, but for a week he had done nothing more than play tourist, then disappeared the night before.

The agent had checked with the hotel, only to find that Stuart's things were still in his room and that he had not checked out. He had waited until that morning to make the call that Stuart had not returned.

Alerted to the disappearance, '5' had gone to Stuart's home and been stunned to find everything in order – except his room. Pictures of Mich were everywhere, old and new, Newspaper clippings about the Cartel assassinations in Miami were found in a scrap book, along with other reports that the investigators realized were tied with every job that Mich had done.

Most scary of all, a picture of Mich on her wedding day to Jack had been found, Stuart had replaced Jack with a picture of himself clothed in a morning suit.

Mich began pacing around the room arms folded, the distress on her face plain to see. "He's coming here isn't he?"

H sighed, "Nobody will admit to it Mich, but yes, I think he is…" Catching hold of her, he pulled her close, "Phil Moore is on his way to LA to pick up the trail and the PD here have been alerted, I'm sorry I can't do anything more."

Leaning into him, Mich sighed, "I know Horatio, and though I can't stand the guy, Phil is good at his job… I guess I'll just have to hope he catches him and just be ready. One thing for sure is that Stuart will end up here… We just don't know when."

Horatio said nothing, there wasn't anything he could say.

&

Kate settled back into the sofa and sighed, for some reason she was feeling more tired than usual. True, she now had an increased workload because she had taken over the training of the young horses, but Mich had taken over nearly all the lessons in exchange.

Eric voiced his concern, "You ok?" Kate had been fine while Mich had been in the UK and her workload had been higher then.

"I'm just getting used to the new routine I guess… Mich is talking about opening up an Academy which means we'll have more students to help with the stable work and riding side, but that will take a couple of months to kick in…"

"She's determined to move on isn't she? Do you think she'll be able to stay away from competition?"

Kate nodded, "No doubt in my mind on that Eric, she's already put herself in for a judges course and people are already contacting us to see if they can come to the barn for training." A smile crept across her face, "Add to that her wish to be a mom again…"

Eric chuckled, "Yeah, H told me… She caught him out with that one, but he's really happy about it. I guess the fact he wants to slow down on the work side will give him more time to be with his family… It's what he always wanted."

Kate smiled, "Mich too… I've never seen her this happy Eric, I just hope everything works out for them, they both deserve it."

Four months later…

Ryan grinned at the comments being thrown in his direction, he had been nervous all day, but just as he'd got to the point of calling everything off, H had turned up and taken him to one side, knowing that his OCD was freaking him out.

"Ready Mr Wolfe?"

Ryan nodded and walked across to stand at the altar, H close behind. Horatio had been startled when Ryan had asked him to be best man, but had accepted almost immediately. Looking around the small church he spotted the team instantly, half of them on his side the others on Natalia's.

He smiled to himself, quite a few people from the PD were here too, mainly patrol officers he had worked with in the past and he was glad to see them. As he was thinking, the music changed and he looked up to see Natalia entering the church at her father's side, accompanied by her two sisters, Calleigh and Mich.

Glancing at H, Ryan chuckled to himself, he wasn't the only one admiring the women coming towards him. While Natalia was in ivory, the girls were in deep red carrying simple bouquets consisting of long stemmed white orchids.

As they drew closer, he caught sight of Mich giving H a saucy wink and was surprised to see his former boss flush a little, there was obviously a private joke shared there. Then his eyes were filled by Natalia's shy smile and he pulled his attention away from the others to concentrate on her.

&

The team roared with laughter as Natalia deliberately threw Calleigh her bouquet, much to Rhys' consternation. Chuckling, Mich pointed out that as she was getting married in a few months anyway, there was no point in her having it…

Dancing with Mich, H couldn't keep the smile off his face, she had changed since their return from the UK, though still strong willed and determined to stand her ground, she had also become less moody, quieter and more willing to follow his lead.

"You could have told me Natalia had chosen red for you girls."

Mich chuckled wickedly, "Why, and spoil the fun I'll have later…" H sighed, realizing she hadn't changed that much…

Changing the subject, he saw her eyes soften, "So, what did the doc have to say this morning at your check up?"

"He thinks we have a chance, but warned me not to over do things, the less stress, the better." Mich had been following a suggested regimen since their return from the UK. Although she had always eaten healthily, the doc was concerned that she was overstretching her physical limits and demanded that she cut back.

Mich had complied instantly, her wish for another child was so strong. She had also bullied H into a less stressful lifestyle, which had made the team tease him a great deal, but he couldn't deny he was feeling much better.

Glancing across the room, he saw Rhys talking on his cell, a look of concern on his face…

&

Time….. passes…

Phil Moore was swearing, Stuart had evaded him once more. This time he had got so close – making eye contact as the train had pulled out of the station.

He had managed to pick up the trail in LA, thanks to information released to him by '5', CIA and a few of his own contacts. Slowly but surely he had followed Stuart from California to Arizona and then Texas, where he had lost him for a few days before once more picking up the trail again in Missouri. The move northwards had surprised him for a minute until he realized that Stuart must have noticed that someone was tracking him.

From Missouri, the trail had led into the bluegrass country of Kentucky before swinging south into Tenessee and it was here in Knoxville that Stuart had boarded a train to Atlanta right under his nose. Picking up his cell, he made a call to Rhys…

"dn…"

Frank looked up at Rhys' face, "Bad news?"

"Yeah, that was Phil, he just missed Stuart in Knoxville, but managed to get a picture of his face from the video at the station – he's sending it over."

"This guy's slippery as an eel, that's the third time Phil has nearly had him, last was when Ryan and Natalia had their wedding. H and Mich are due to get married in two weeks, you think that's what the guy is working towards?"

Rhys nodded, "It's looking more and more like it. He's taken his time coming across country so as not to attract attention to himself, but the fact is that slowly slowly he's heading in this direction."

"Where was he headed?"

"Atlanta."

Frank reached for his phone, "I know someone up there, I'll ask them to keep an eye out for our friend and let us know what he does. What's Phil going to do?"

"He's got one of his team following Stuart, he's heading for Miami, wants me to put the airport security on alert just in case he switches to a flight. Now that Stuart has been officially declared as a stalker, it'll help."

Frank pulled a face and grumbled… "Which airport security… He could land anywhere in Florida within the next twenty-four hours and still make it to the wedding without rushing…"

Rhys nodded, "I'll put out a general alert to all airports in Florida, but that doesn't mean we'll catch him – he could still come overland, but it's worth a try. One thing I want to do is circulate the latest picture amongst MDPD, he could arrive any day."

Frank nodded his agreement. "You better tell Horatio, he'll want to know what's going on."

Rhys nodded and headed over to trace where he knew H was working a new case with Eric.

&

Mich stood and stared… Not really believing that she was looking at herself in the mirror. The dress she was wearing was simple, sleeveless with a round neck, but the silk flowed around her like water and felt soft against her skin.

She and Horatio had agreed on an evening wedding, mindful that it would be difficult for their friends to get the time off, though they had had a couple of heated discussions. Mich had insisted that he and Eric as best man should be in a tux and that the wedding should be in a small chapel that she had seen.

H wanted something a little less public and had agreed to a tux if Mich would let him chose the venue. She had stood her ground at first, but then become curious as he refused to give way. She was stunned when H revealed that Frank's father had offered the use of his Miami beach house, in a secluded spot out on Star Island.

Mich had accepted instantly and H had let out a sigh of relief, it was a site easy to secure and Frank had already briefed the PD officers who would be on duty that evening. Trying on the short sleeved jacket that went with her dress, Mich smiled softly as she cast her mind back over the last six years to the day she had met H for the first time, outside the bank where he had put a bullet through her shoulder.

He had teased her that they should get married on the same date, 'for old times sake' and laughing, she had agreed…

&

Stuart Cook stepped off the train in Atlanta and smiled, just one more trip and he would be in Miami. Casually glancing around, he noticed the local PD straight away and carefully hid his face so they would not see him.

As he left the station and called a cab to take him to a nearby hotel, he did not notice that he was being followed by a young woman, who seeing that he was settling down for the night in a hotel made a call…

"Uncle Frank? Yeah, he's here, checked into a hotel near the station… Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

Sitting in the right hand seat, Stuart calmly took control of the small Piper Cherokee aircraft, the instructor next to him pushed back in his chair, no longer part of this life. Stuart had spent the best part of a week in Atlanta collecting a few things, deciding how he was going to travel to Miami.

He had spotted his new tail, an attractive young woman in her late twenties and decided not to travel overland by bus or train; Phil was bound to catch up with him that way – if he wasn't waiting at the other end. He had hesitated about taking a flight, knowing that an alert would have gone out to the main Miami airports that handled internal flights. Checking a map of the area where Mich lived, he had spotted the private airfields which had given him an idea.

Preparing his flight plan, he had booked an early morning flying lesson, knowing that the small training aircraft would be fully fuelled. He had arranged his lesson face to face with the instructor and the night before had stolen onto the airfield and filled some fuel bladders, hoping it would be enough to get him to Florida.

He had lost his tail in the early rush hour traffic before arriving at the airfield where he had shot the instructor instantly as he waited for his pupil. Retrieving the extra fuel had been done quickly and now he was taxiing to the end of the runway. Clearance for take off was given quickly and he was soon on his way…

Smiling to himself, he noted that the fuel he had would get him as far as he needed to go and still leave some over. Calmly he turned his thoughts to his target, and went through his final plans for that day; at the end of it Mich would be his, forever. He had managed to get the date after an innocent call to MDPD asking when the Lieutenant would be available for a seminar out of state had resulted in an inexperienced young clerk telling him the date when H was getting married.

&

Frank had swore at the news he had heard from his niece in Atlanta that morning, but there was nothing more that could be done, passing the news on to Rhys, the two of them agreed to warn Horatio who was finishing his final week at the lab. Knowing that H was in court most of the day they agreed to tell him the news that afternoon.

After a honeymoon with Mich in the Bahamas, he would return back to Miami and start his new job. After first searching around the lab, they eventually found him with Paul Clarkson, going over some old case files and discussing the Harem case. Elena was helping the FBI out, her skills as an interpreter a valuable asset to the investigation and had joined them for the discussion.

Seeing Rhys and Frank approaching, Paul asked Elena to get some coffee, realizing that this was bad news judging by the look on their faces.

As he heard the news, H began pacing around the room his rage evident. "I'm not blaming anyone, but why can't we catch this guy?"

Rhys sighed, "Could you catch Mich if she decided she didn't want to be caught? Stuart is as good as, if not better than Mich ever was at being able to disappear."

Horatio sighed, Rhys was right, they weren't dealing with an ordinary person here, but that made it harder to bear. "I don't want any of you saying anything to Mich… She's all set for Friday and this would be just the thing to persuade her to call everything off and I am NOT going to let that happen…"

Rhys and Frank exchanged glances, at this particular point neither agreed with H, but as Rhys was about to say something H received a call.

"Plane crash in the 'Glades? Where… Ok, I'm on it." Excusing himself from Paul's office, H went quickly to the hummer where he found Eric waiting for him.

Noticing H's anger, Eric asked him what was wrong. Tersely H passed on the news and began to drive quickly through the Miami traffic, heading for the crash site.

&

Stuart quickly folded up the parachute and packed it away under some dense undergrowth. He had got out of the Cherokee just before it had stalled and watched it crash into the slow moving water beneath him. Allowing the wind to carry him away from the crash site, he had spotted the road and aimed for it, landing close by.

After walking for about 30 minutes, he heard a vehicle approaching from behind and saw an old farm truck. Holding out his hand, he was gratified by the old man's offer to give him a lift to the outskirts of Miami.

Mich took a few deep breaths and glanced outside, it was a beautiful evening. A soft footstep behind her made her smile, "Hi Gran, is everything ok?"

The Countess chuckled, "Everything is fine Kerys, you look beautiful. Your dad will be along in a moment with Kyra and Amber. Have you told Horatio your news?"

Mich smiled and shook her head, "No, not yet… Let's just say it's a wedding present…"

Two excited voices heralded the entry of Mich's two daughters and her father, "Ready to go?" Mich nodded and put on her jacket, it was a warm evening and she had thought about not wearing it, but Horatio had insisted.

&

Horatio turned at the sound of the music and smiled as he saw Kyra and Amber walking towards him, not surprised to see them dressed in blue and sighed with relief when he saw that Mich had put on her jacket as he had asked. Glancing to one side, he saw his team, his family, smiling and on the other, the few friends and family that had traveled over from the UK.

Roger had been able to attend and was sitting with Sam and Frank, who would be returning back home almost immediately. Frank had taken a risk coming over, but fortunately most of the top Cartel people he had known were gone – either in prison, or out of business – and he had insisted on being there for his friends.

General Tomkins had turned up and was talking quietly to Paul Clarkson and Phil Moore, but both fell silent as Mich slowly made her way down the terrace to where H was waiting with Eric, smiles on their faces.

Joining him, Mich gave H a shy smile and he noticed the soft look in her eyes, "You look great, I told you the tux was a good idea."

Horatio chuckled, "Well, I have to bow to your judgment on that one." He gave Mich a curious look, as she dropped her head a little, "Are you ok?"

"Better than ok…" Leaning forward a little she whispered in his ear.

A look of delight spread across his face, "You're sure?"

Mich nodded, "The doc confirmed it yesterday, I'm about nine weeks along. Think we can get a room ready by Christmas?" H quickly pulled her close and gave her a kiss, to the stunned amazement of their friends.

It was Eric who broke the silence, "Uhm.. H.. You're supposed to do that after you take your vows, not before…"

Laughter echoed around the small garden as H and Mich both blushed and turned to begin the ceremony.

"There will be no exchanging of vows today my friends… Unless I am one of them." Stepping out from behind the trees, Stuart raised the Sig Sauer in his hand and slowly moved it across the group of people gathered in front of him. He had been watching Mich for a couple of days and followed her to Star Island the day before while she was making the seating arrangements. Finding somewhere to hide on the premises had been easy, though he'd had to be careful when the PD officers had arrived that morning.

Horatio gritted his teeth, his hand immediately going to his waist, where he found… nothing… Eric was swearing next to him and H suddenly realized with horror that none of his team were carrying their side arms. Mich stiffened next to him, fury on her face, "Get out Stuart, how dare you…"

Stuart stopped moving, eyes glittering in anger, "How dare I… You are MINE Mich…"

"I was never yours Stuart and I never will be… You can't make me come with you."

"Fine, if that's the case…" He moved the Sig slightly so that it was directly pointed at Horatio, "If you won't have me… Then I'll make sure you can't have him…"

As two shots rang out, Phil Moore was able to make his move, tackling Stuart to the ground. He was too late to stop the bullets from finding a target…

Mich had also moved, placing herself in front of Horatio and took both bullets into her back, pulling off his bow tie as she fell forward into his arms.

As all hell let lose around him, H gently eased Mich to the ground, "Hold on sweetheart, help will soon be here."

Mich smiled tenderly, reaching up to touch his cheek, "I will always love you Horatio, make sure you look after the girls…" Her hand fell to her side as she closed her eyes.

Dropping his head, H nodded, "I promise Mich, please hold on. Stay with me… Mich… please… Mich…"


	44. Epilogue

_Thanks to all of you that have reviewed my story. Your comments are highly appreciated. SAP was not without it's problems and difficult to write at times - especially when I was having technical problems too... So I'm glad you enjoyed it._

_I am taking a break from Mich and H at the moment, but those of you that like my stuff may wish to check out my Dino story (Movies:Proof of Life), but I will tell you that I have nearly finished an NYPD Blue story based around John Kelly of course. That will be posted soon._

_Those of you that like H and Mich needn't despair.. They will be back._

_So... Did Mich survive the shooting and what is H up to these days now that he has left the lab?_

_Enjoy_

**_Lucy_**

Epilogue

Horatio put his pen down on the desk and sighed, Christmas was just around the corner and most of his team were out with their partners enjoying the festivities. Paul had put his head around the door and invited him and the girls over for drinks on Christmas Eve, but he wasn't sure if they would go.

He'd been working with the FBI for nearly seven months, heading a specialist team trying to crack old cases using new techniques. Some of the cases had seemed familiar and he had realised that they were related to cases that he had worked on with CSI. Finding the links had been a big breakthrough and two extra team members had been brought in.

One was a young profiler who had a knack for spotting obscure references, the other an older woman, an analyst who had a superb memory for details. More often than not she had picked up on things in different files that were years apart. Since the team had got together, they had already cracked a dozen cases, including that of a serial killer, and a paedophile.

H smiled in satisfaction, those two cases had haunted him while he was over at CSI and now the culprits were behind bars he could focus on the next file on his desk. Calleigh was also on the alert for cases that the CSI team were having problems solving and they used to meet on a regular basis to see if there were any links between their work.

So successful was the partnership that other cities were following Miami's lead, first Tampa and Orlando, then Atlanta. A chance conversation with Mac had led to some interesting developments in New York. For once the local police departments and FBI were working together…

Glancing at the clock, H began to put his things away. He had arranged to pick up Amber and Kyra and didn't want to be late. As always his hand strayed to a picture of himself and Mich, this one had been taken in the UK after she had won her medals, for a moment his mind wandered back to the day they should have been married…

&

Stuart had cried out realising that he had hit Mich instead of Horatio – his intended target – and had crumpled to the floor offering no resistance. Of the bullets that had been fired into her back, one had hit Mich in the shoulder, the other close to the spine.

On the way to the hospital in the ambulance Mich had come round for a short period of time, but then her eyes had closed again and she had been taken into surgery. Horatio had never felt so alone as at that moment, and closed his eyes – he never wanted to go there again.

Phil had built up a pattern of Stuart's movements across the country and discovered several victims of his dangerous obsession. All killed with a single gunshot wound to the head – in each case the bullet had been discovered and matched to those taken out of Mich's back. The last victim had been an old man, found in his farm truck in a car park near Bicentennial Park a couple of evenings before the wedding.

It had not taken long for the CSI's to discover that Stuart was linked to the plane crash in the Everglades and one month ago H had watched as Stuart had been led into the small room to receive the lethal injection that would end his life.

&

Horatio walked out of the building and drove to meet Amber and Kyra. Seeing them waiting in their usual place he smiled when he saw the bouquet in Kyra's arms. "Those are beautiful…"

Kyra smiled back, "Mum always did like orchids and tiger lilies…"

Soon they were at Dade Memorial and walked slowly down the corridor, pausing outside the room for a moment, H saw Mich through the glass, her eyes closed. A tender look crossed his face when he saw the colour in her cheeks and he followed the girls into the room.

Mich had given them a fright, going into labour at home one lunchtime, she had suddenly started to hemorrhage for no apparent reason. Thankfully, six year old Amber, off school with the flu had heard her mum calling and quickly called 911, then phoned her father.

Hearing footsteps, Mich opened her eyes slowly, waking from the light doze she had been in and smiled softly. "Hi, is everything ok?"

Horatio smiled, "All set… You look a lot better today…"

Mich nodded, "I feel a lot better, Doc says I can go home tomorrow if I promise to take it easy…"

H chuckled wickedly, "Then I'd better tell him to keep you here. Otherwise you won't…"

Mich pulled a face, "Get me out of here Horatio…"

H leant forwards and gave her a soft kiss, "Only if you promise to be good… I don't want another scare… Two in one year is enough…"

Mich sighed, "I was lucky that Kevlar now comes in white wasn't I, that damn jacket you made me wear caught the bullet that would have got my spine."

"Stuart still managed to catch your shoulder though… You have matching scars, one on each side…"

Mich chuckled, "Should create interest when we go to the beach…"

H laughed and brought back the subject that Mich had been trying to avoid, "Are you going to promise me, or do I have to get over-protective, we can't take the chance of your blood pressure falling again until you're fully recovered."

Mich nodded, "I don't think I have the energy… Thank god the girls are on Christmas break – they'll be a great help."

"Promise me Mich, or you stay where you are, you lost a lot of blood, I nearly lost both of you. I am not going to take any risks."

Mich sighed, "I promise, now would you please bring our son over here, he needs to see his daddy…"

Horatio grinned and walked to the small cot by the bed, Mich smiled at the look on her husband's face, his eyes softening as he picked up his son carefully and returned to Mich's side.

"So, have you decided on a name yet?" H's voice was teasing, he had had a few ideas, but Mich had been undecided.

She nodded, "I've been thinking… You know I like Matt," H nodded, he was happy with that one, Mich smiled softly, "Well how about we add Tim to that…"

H was quiet for a moment, when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper, "I would like that Mich… I would like that very much…"

Walking to the window H looked out over the city he loved and smiled, "Matthew Timothy Caine, welcome to Miami…"

Leaning back against the pillows, Mich smiled, knowing that while H would still want to serve his city, he would also balance his time with his family, protecting the innocent, but also taking care of himself. She sighed softly, the future was there to be enjoyed, everything was as it should be.

The Lone Wolf could finally sleep, never to be awakened…


End file.
